The latest federal guidelines as of 8/5/09 recommend 7-13 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. In the Rochester, NY region, only 3 out of 10 adults eat at least 5 servings a day according to the results of a study led by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield.
Benefits of eating more fruits and vegetables:
- they are good for you and provide essential nutrients
- they fill you up so you do not have the craving to eat non nutritious foods (candy, cookies, etc…)
- fruits and vegetables can add flavor to food. try adding berries to your cereal or cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce to sandwiches