Fruits & Veggies – More Matters Month®

Fruits & Veggies – More Matters®is a non-profit organization focusing on helping you eat more fruits and vegetables to better your health.  September is designated as Fruits & Veggies – More Matters Month®^.

 According to the Fruits & Veggies – More Matters website, 90 percent of adults and children do not eat the suggested amount of fruits and vegetables recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and MyPlate nutrition guide.  Fruits and Veggies – More Matters® suggests filling half your plate at each meal, including snacks, with fruits and vegetables.  All forms of fruit and vegetables such as fresh, frozen, canned, dried and 100% juice is included. 

The logo (shown in this post) appears on certain products at the grocery store and indicates that the product meets the proper nutrition guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). 

So why does more matter when it comes to eating fruits and vegetables?  Fruits and vegetables are a major source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and are low in fat and calories and are naturally cholesterol free.  The fiber found in fruits and vegetables not only help to keep you full but aids in digestion by bulking up stool to keep it moving through the digestive track.  Fiber helps prevent constipation, Diverticulitis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Gastroesophageal Reflux Disorder (GERD) and ulcers.  The vitamins in fruits and vegetables helps to promote eye health and reduces the risk of certain types of cancer and diseases such as Cardiovascular Disease and high blood pressure. 

Here’s how you can incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your daily meals:

– Add fresh fruit to your breakfast cereal, oatmeal or yogurt

– Replace a bag of chips or cookies with a piece of whole fruit or carrots with hummus

– When eating out, swap out mashed potatoes with fresh vegetables

– For dessert, cut up fresh fruit and top with non-fat Greek yogurt 

Don’t be fooled by labels that claim products contain “real fruit”.  Here’s an article I wrote  Don’t Be Fooled by Fruit and Vegetable Label Claims to help you decipher what’s real and what’s not, and how to maximize your fruit and veggie intake.

Your turn to take action: What will you do to increase your intake of fruits and vegetables?

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