Put health protection
on your plate

Take advantage of the health protection from a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Whether it’s vitamin C in oranges or the vitamin A in broccoli and carrots, nutrients in fruits and vegetables help reduce a person’s chance of having a variety of health problems including heart disease and cancer.

What makes fruits and vegetables so beneficial? Studies have found that vitamins A, C, E and the mineral selenium help prevent cell damage called oxidation that can lead to cancer development. Cells damaged by this process fail to repair normal wear and tear, allowing disease to occur more easily. Antioxidant vitamins and minerals in fruits and vegetables slow oxidation.

Unfortunately, many Americans do not get enough antioxidants, fiber and other nutrients because they don’t eat five servings of fruits and vegetables every day. If five servings a day sounds like a lot, remember that one serving is only half a cup [120 mL] of chopped vegetables or one medium-sized piece of fruit. Add fruit to your breakfast cereal, eat a piece of fruit for a snack, enjoy salad bar veggies for lunch and have a cup or more of vegetables at dinner. Toss in chopped vegetables (from Milk Pail of course) when you’re heating up sauces, soups and casseroles. See, that makes five already, and we haven’t even counted TV munchies :)

The American Institute for Cancer Research suggests eating a wide variety of produce, especially dark green, deep yellow and orange fruits and vegetables. Almost all fruits and vegetables are low in calories and fat when served without oils or butter. So stack the odds in your favor by filling your plate with fruits and vegetables for good health.

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Which nutrients, and how much, you’ll get from fruits & veggies !
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