The new food guidelines issued by the United States government recommend that all Americans eat between five and nine servings of fruits and vegetables each and every day. When you first hear that number, it may seem like a lot, but it is actually much easier than you think to fit that many servings of fruits and vegetables into your daily diet. For one thing, the shelves of grocery stores are fairly bursting with fresh fruits and vegetables. In addition, vegetables and fruits are some of the least expensive, most nutrient-rich, foods in the supermarket. With all these fruits and vegetables, it is easy to make these nutritious, delicious foods part of your daily meals and snacks.

When you take into account how much a serving really is, it is actually quite easy to get five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables per day. For instance, the recommended daily amount actually equates to a quite reasonable two cups of fruit and two and a half cups of vegetables every day. When you consider how many fruits and vegetables are available, and how low the prices usually are, it is easy to see how easy to reach this daily goal really is.

One great way to get the nutrients you need from fruits and vegetables every day is to take full advantage of the variety of these foods available. Eating the same thing every day quickly becomes boring, so why not pick a variety of fruits and vegetables, in every color of the rainbow and in every conceivable shape, size and texture, to give yourself a varied diet every day? Trying out new things is fun and you may just discover amazing new foods that you’d like to incorporate more often. 

When shopping for fruits and vegetables, it is not only a nice visual way to stimulate appetite but it is actually important to choose a variety of different colors. This is for more than purely artistic reasons. Different-colored fruits and vegetables have different types of nutrients, and choosing a variety of colors will help ensure you get all the vitamins and minerals you need each and every day. 

Finding new recipes is another great way to ensure you get those five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables daily. Everyone likes to try out new recipes, and these new recipes may just provide the impetus you need to eat all those fruits and veggies. 

New recipes can also provide you the important opportunity to try out some fruits and vegetables you have never tried before or to disguise foods in juices or blends so that you can eat the things you may not be too keen on. 

For instance, everyone has eaten oranges, but have you tried kiwi fruit or mangoes? How about spinach or kale? Trying new things is a great way to find new favorites while getting the best nutrition available. 

Many people mistakenly think that they do not need to eat five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day if they just take a vitamin supplement. Actually, nothing could be further from the truth. That is because fruits and vegetables contain far more than the micronutrients identified by science and synthesized in vitamin pills. While these micronutrients, such as vitamin C, vitamin A and vitamin E are important to good health, so too are the hundreds of other elements that are contained in healthy foods like fruits and vegetables. These elements are not available in any pill, they must be ingested through a healthy, balanced whole foods diet that contains plenty of fruits and vegetables. 

Related Link: Have You Checked Your Micronutrient Levels Lately?

In addition, fruits and vegetables are much less costly than a lot of other foods, especially when purchased in season and grown locally. 

So don’t forget to get your five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables daily. It may seem like a lot, but you can meet this quite reasonable goal simply by including fruits and vegetables as snacks, as garnishes, as side dishes and as meals. 

Think juices, smoothies, soups, salads, snacking foods, garnishes, and even in sorbets, mousses, and shakes. There is so much to choose from 🙂

Enjoy.