How many fruits and vegetables do you need?

Here are some easy ways to fill your day with fruits and vegetables as part of a healthy diet:

Compared to people who eat only small amounts of fruits and vegetables, those who eat more generous amounts — as part of a healthy diet — are likely to have reduced risk of chronic diseases. These diseases include stroke, type 2 diabetes, some types of cancer, and perhaps heart disease and high blood pressure.

You can find the amounts of fruits and vegetables you need using the charts in this brochure. There are also facts on why eating the recommended amounts is important to your health and easy tips for including fruits and vegetables in your day.

1. Less Active: You average less than 30 minutes a day.
2. Moderately Active: You average 30 to 60 minutes a day.
3. Active: You average more than 60 minutes a day.

Choose your age range. Your physical activity level and age determine how many calories you need each day and your calorie needs determine how many fruits and vegetables you should eat.

Include fruits and vegetables throughout your day in little ways — for snacks, toppings, side dishes, or in your main meal. Whether they're frozen, fresh, canned, or dried, all fruits and vegetables (including beans) count toward your daily amount.

Learn what 1 cup and 1/2 a cup look like:

EXAMPLES OF 1 CUP

EXAMPLES OF 1/2 CUP

Simple ways to enjoy fruits and vegetables throughout your day:

In addition to fruits and vegetables, a healthy diet also includes whole grains, fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products, lean meats, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs and nuts, and is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt, and added sugars.

FIND YOUR BALANCE

Becoming a healthier you isn't just about eating healthy — it's also about physical activity. Regular physical activity is important for your overall health and fitness.

Here are some guidelines to follow:

Adults should be physically active at a moderate intensity at least 30 minutes most days of the week.

To prevent weight gain, adults should be physically active at least at a moderate intensity approximately 60 minutes a day most days of the week while not exceeding caloric requirements.

Children and teenagers should be physically active for 60 minutes most days, or preferably all days of the week.

To get all the nutrients you need, without consuming too many calories, you should choose foods that are packed with nutrients, but lower in calories, from each of the food groups. These foods include fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products.

For more information about a healthy diet, visit http://www.MyPyramid.gov.

To get a healthy variety, think color. Eating fruits and vegetables of different colors gives your body a wide range of valuable nutrients, like fiber, folate, potassium, and vitamins A and C. Some examples include green spinach, orange sweet potatoes, black beans, yellow corn, purple plums, red watermelon, or white onions. For more variety, try new fruits and vegetables regularly.

TAKE A HEALTHY BITE.

Fruits and vegetables are great sources of many vitamins, minerals and other natural substances that may help protect you from chronic diseases. Some of these nutrients may also be found in other healthy foods. Eating a balanced diet and making other lifestyle changes are key to defending your body's good health.

FIBER

Diets rich in dietary fiber have been shown to have a number of beneficial effects, including decreased risk of coronary heart disease.

navy beans, kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans, lima beans, white beans, soybeans, split peas, chick peas, black eyed peas, lentils, artichokes

FOLATE*

Healthful diets with adequate folate may reduce a woman's risk of having a child with a brain or spinal cord defect.

black eyed peas, cooked spinach, great northern beans, asparagus

POTASSIUM

Diets rich in potassium may help to maintain a healthy blood pressure.

Sweet potatoes, tomato paste, tomato puree, beet greens, white potatoes, white beans, lima beans, cooked greens, carrot juice, prune juice

VITAMIN A

Vitamin A keeps eyes and skin healthy and helps to protect against infections.

sweet potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, spinach, turnip greens, mustard greens, kale, collard greens, winter squash, cantaloupe, red peppers, Chinese cabbage

VITAMIN C

Vitamin C helps heal cuts and wounds and keeps teeth and gums healthy.

red and green peppers, kiwi, strawberries, sweet potatoes, kale, cantaloupe, broccoli, pineapple, Brussels sprouts, oranges, mangoes, tomato juice, cauliflower

* According to the Institute of Medicine, a daily intake of 400 μg/day of synthetic folic acid (from fortified foods or supplements in addition to food forms of folate from a varied diet) is recommended for women of childbearing age who may become pregnant.

Source:  http://www.5aday.gov