Fact sheet: Fruits and vegetables

Healthy weight for healthy kids: Fruits and vegetables matter!

Looking for a brighter future? Try eating a diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables. The potential benefits associated with eating more fruits and vegetables stack up quickly: Reducing your risk of certain chronic diseases is only the beginning.

Overview

A growing body of research shows that fruits and vegetables are critical to promoting good health. Eating fruits and vegetables daily helps to prevent diseases such as heart disease, hypertension, stroke and certain cancers and may also protect against cataracts, lung disease, diabetes and obesity. In addition, fruits and vegetables are full of rich sources of Vitamin A for healthy vision and cell growth; Vitamin C for healthy gums; and potassium for maintaining the fluid balance in your body.

Data

Most families do not consume the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables. In 2005, according to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), only 25 percent of Minnesota adults reported meeting the minimum recommendation of consuming 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

Minnesota youth are not doing much better. According to the 2004 Minnesota Student Survey, 21 percent of 6th graders, 15 percent of 9th graders and 12.5 percent of 12th graders eat the recommended five or more servings of fruits and vegetables.

Know your numbers

How many fruits and vegetables does an individual need to eat a day? Your daily fruit and vegetable needs depend on your calorie needs. Your calorie needs are determined by your age, sex, and physical activity level. Visit www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org to learn exactly how many servings of fruits and vegetables you should be eating every day.

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, individuals should consume a sufficient amount of fruits and vegetables while staying within energy needs. Two cups of fruit and 2 1/2 cups of vegetables per day are recommended for a reference 2,000-calorie intake, with higher or lower amounts depending on the calorie level.

What forms of fruits and vegetables are OK?

Fresh
Frozen
Canned
Dried or freeze dried
Juice, if it is 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice

Examples of fruit and vegetable serving sizes

1 cup leafy greens (spinach salad, kale, mixed greens, etc.)
ž cup real fruit or vegetable juice (tomato, orange, grapefruit, mixed vegetable, etc.)
˝ cup raw or cooked cut up or small fruits and vegetables (green beans, carrots, fruit cocktail, grapes, etc.)
ź cup dried fruit (raisins, craisins, apricots, apple bits, etc.)
1 medium piece of whole fruit (apple, orange, banana)
˝ cup freeze-dried fruits or vegetables (corn, peas, blueberries)

Trying to visualize the serving sizes?

This may help:

1 medium apple or orange: the size of a tennis ball
1 cup vegetables or fruit: the size of a baseball
1 medium potato: the size of a computer mouse
1 cup of lettuce: 4 leaves

Key strategies

Despite being categorized below, many of the key strategies identified can be implemented in many environments including worksites; healthcare; school and childcare environments; communities; and homes.

School and childcare environments

Include curricula/teach programs that have been proven to increase students’ fruit and vegetable consumption
Make changes in food service to promote consumption of fruits and vegetables
Offer fruits and vegetables on your a’la carte lines, and in school stores
Make fruits and vegetables available for breaks or snacks
Implement guidelines that focus on serving fruits and vegetables for school parties and at events
Implement proven curricula that offer children opportunities to taste and cook with fruits and vegetables
Make changes in the menu to offer more and a greater variety of fruits and vegetables
Provide teacher and parent education to promote healthy meal times and good feeding relationships.
Help families understand the importance of eating fruits and vegetables for good health
Help families understand the importance of role modeling

Worksites

Implement proven worksite programs that promote increased fruits and vegetable consumption at work and home
Establish lunch clubs that focus on incorporating fruits and vegetables or vegetarian cooking
Make fruits and vegetables available for breaks or snacks
Implement catering policies that promote offering fruits and vegetables and other healthy food at meetings and events
Offer fruits and vegetables in onsite vending machines

Community programs

Work with after school programs to support menu changes so afternoon snacks always include at least one vegetable or fruit serving
Provide cooking classes for parents and children in community settings
Implement proven fruit and vegetable promotion programs in your church or place of worship
Support community gardens and children selling the vegetables they grow
Offer fruit and vegetable tasting at farmers markets
Encourage grocery stores in your community to promote the Fruits and Veggies – More Matters campaign and to train their demonstrators to the program messages when fruits and vegetables are demonstrated

Parents and families

Model healthful eating habits in order to teach lifelong healthy life skills and behaviors
Mindfully budget for fruits and vegetables when planning your grocery shopping
Prepare healthful meals with your children
Make fruits and vegetables available for snacks
Make it fun – present kids with cut-up fruits and vegetables and let them create funny faces or animals
Ask kids to pick the fruits and vegetables for a meal – this allows them choose their favorites or suggest new ones to try
Add fruits and vegetables to favorite foods

Resources

Looking for expert cooking advice, nutrition information and shopping tips? Visit www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org.
Need an action plan on how to include fruits and veggies in your daily diet? Visit www.pbhfoundation.org.
Looking for sound, science-based advice on weight control, getting stronger muscles and bones, and balanced nutrition? Visit www.healthierus.gov or www.cdc.gov for helpful information.
MyPyramid for Kids is the visual representation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food guidance system and can be used to make learning about healthy habits fun. For more information, visit www.mypyramid.gov.
Other resources: American Cancer Society, American Community Gardening Association, American Dietetic Association, American Heart Association, Community Design Center of Minnesota, Strategic Alliance ENACT Assessment Tool