Eat Smart by eating more (fruits and vegetables) September is National Fruits & Veggies—More Matters™ Month and the key message is simple – eat more fruits and vegetables. Eating more fruits and vegetables is one of the most important habits you can adopt. It can reduce your risk of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke and some types of cancer. But sorting through all of the recommendations can be difficult. Here are the basics.
How much and how often
The amount of vegetables and fruits you need to eat depends on your age, sex, and level of physical activity. In general, the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend 2 cups of fruit and 2½ cups of vegetables each day for a 2000 calorie diet. The table below provides other important considerations.
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Eat 2½ cups of vegetables each day.* - Eat more dark green vegetables like broccoli, spinach, and other dark leafy greens. Most adults should eat at least 3 cups of leafy green vegetables a week.
- Eat more orange vegetables like carrots and sweet potatoes. Most adults should eat at least 2 cups of orange vegetables a week.
- Eat more dry beans and peas like pinto beans, kidney beans, and lentils. These foods can be used as a vegetable or as a meat alternative. Most adults should eat at least 3 cups of dry beans and peas a week.
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Eat 2 cups of fruit each day.* - Choose a variety of fruits everyday. Fruits differ in nutrient content. When you vary your choices, you are more likely to get the nutrients and fiber you need.
- Choose fruit that is fresh, frozen, canned or dried. Try to eat fresh, whole or cut-up fruit that is in season as much as possible. Choose frozen, canned or dried fruits without added sugars.
- Go easy on fruit juices. Make most of your choices whole or cut-up fruit rather than juice, for the benefits dietary fiber provides.
| * Based on a 2000 calorie diet.
How do King County employees and their spouses/domestic partners stack up?
Wellness Assessment results suggest that some King County employees and their spartners are meeting these recommendations, but many of us are falling short of what we need. In 2008, about two-thirds (66%) of Wellness Assessment respondents reported eating two or more servings of fruit daily. However, less than half (49%) reported eating three or more servings of vegetables daily.
More matters
No matter how many fruits and vegetables you and your family are eating now, most people would benefit from eating more. It's a lot easier than you might think.
One cup-equivalent of most fruits and vegetables is the amount that would fit in a measuring cup if chopped, or about 2 handfuls. The exceptions are raw leafy greens (2 cups count as 1 cup) or dried fruit (½ cup counts as 1 cup). The chart below provides examples of one cup-equivalents for some common fruits and vegetables and also provides an example of what 2 cups of fruit and 2½ cups of vegetables per day might look like. For more information, including tips on how to eat more vegetables and fruits, check out the Eat Smart Web pages.
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One cup of vegetables equals: - 10 broccoli florets
- 1 cup of cooked or 2 cups raw
greens (spinach, collards, mustard
greens, turnip greens) - 2 medium carrots or 12 baby carrots
- 1 large sweet potato
- 1 large ear of corn
- 2 large stalks of celery
- 1 large bell pepper
- 1 large tomato
- ½ can of beans
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One cup of fruit equals: - 1 small apple
- 1 large banana
- 2 medium cantaloupe wedges
- 1 small watermelon wedge
- 1 large orange
- 1 medium grapefruit
- 1 large peach
- 1 medium pear
- 2 large or 3 small plums
- 8 large strawberries
- 2 small boxes of raisins or other dried fruit
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