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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – And, you can’t count French fries. We are in a fruit and vegetable consumption crisis. Almost no one in the US meets the recommendation for 5 or more fruits and vegetable servings each day. Close to 80% eat too few fruits – even in the middle of the summer when fresh fruit is everywhere. Over 90% shun vegetables on a regular basis, especially men and younger adults.
And trends are not improving. Americans have decreased their fruit and vegetable intake by nearly 10% since 2004. This amounts to a loss of at least one fruit or vegetable serving each week. That doesn’t sound so bad you are thinking? But sadly, it is. If you look at this through the lens of behavioral science, which places a premium on repetition to form habits, without repetition, eating fruits and vegetable regularly, you cannot achieve lasting behavior change. In fact, the opposite happens. The fewer times you eat fruits or vegetables, the less likely you are to select them for a meal or snack and the number of times either is eaten over a given period of time goes down.
Drinking fruit juice has also declined. It is always better to eat a whole fruit or vegetable, but 100% fruit or vegetable juice can be a major contributor in meeting the recommendation of 5 or more servings a day. Many people, especially parents, have cut back on juice because they are trying to limit the amount of sugar their family eats.
When you look at the nutrition label for orange juice, one cup (8 ounces) has 23 grams of total sugar. But this includes 0 grams of added sugar. Herein lies a major piece of misinformation – natural sugar found in fruits is fine and a healthy part of the orange. Added sugar is what we should be trying to reduce. Orange juice has no added sugar. Look for fruit and vegetable juices without added sugar and you are buying a nutritionally excellent, healthy product.
So why is it so important that we eat fruits and vegetables? As a group, fruits and vegetables are nutritionally dense in vitamins and minerals and low in calories. They provide fiber that aids in bowel regularity and provides food for our body’s microbiome which supports our immune system. Eating whole fruits and vegetables requires chewing which slows down the act of eating, helping you feel satisfied after eating, making you feel fuller longer, and helping you resist cravings. Diets rich in fruits and vegetables reduces the risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers and obesity.
In 2010 the Dietary Guidelines for Americans established the MyPlate visual which said “Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.” Though MyPlate has appeared on public health messages, in health education lessons, and even on food labels there has not been significant an increase in fruit and vegetable consumption over time.
Do you want to be healthy? Very few people would answer “no.” Do you want to be slimmer? Would you like to go to the doctor less often? Here is the simplest prescription for all. Eat fruits and vegetables. Start small. Eat just one serving each day for one week. Week two eat 2 servings. Week three, 3 servings. And, week 4, 4 servings. Remember repetition creates habits and habits create change.
© NRH Nutrition Consultants, Inc.
Jo-Ann Heslin, MA, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian and the author of 30 books. Available as eBooks from iTunes and Kindle/Amazon:
Diabetes Counter – the most up-to-date information on managing diabetes
Calorie Counter – a weight loss guide that won’t let you down
Protein Counter – put the latest protein recommendations to work for you
Healthy Wholefoods Counter – planet-friendly eating made easy
Complete Food Counter – food counts and nutrition information at your fingertips
Fat and Cholesterol Counter – newest approach to heart-healthy eating
Available in print from Gallery Books:
Most Complete Food Counter, 3rd Ed.
For more information on Jo-Ann and her books, go to: www.TheNutritionExperts.com.