The benefits of eating Fruits and Vegetables

Eating fruits and vegetables are very important to good health. They have a lot of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. They help protect you from chronic diseases like a stroke, some types of cancers, lowers your risk of heart disease, lowers blood pressure, and improves your immune system. It is always better to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables that have different colors, so that your body gets a wide range of nutrients. I’m always thinking of ways to increase fruits and vegetables in my diet. For snacks I like to eat fresh fruit like bananas, apples, or oranges. Sometimes I’ll have carrot sticks, celery, and peanut butter. I’ll keep them on the counter and ready to eat in the refrigerator. I use fruit and a few carrots in a smoothie. I always include vegetables in pizza, pasta, stir fries, casseroles, stews, and soup. I like to add lettuce, tomatoes, and onions to sandwiches. When I go to a party, I like to make up a veggie tray with carrots, celery, cucumbers, radishes, and red peppers. Children and adults always eat something from the veggie tray. Most people need 4 ½ cups of fruits and vegetables per day. This may sound like a lot, but is very easy to do when you eat fruits and vegetables as your snack and just add a little in with every meal. One small apple is equal to one cup from the fruit and vegetable group. Six baby carrots are equal to half a cup. Sixteen grapes are equal to half a cup. One cup of lettuce counts as a half a cup of vegetables. Here is a slideshow of some of my favorite fruits and vegetables that I like to eat.