Just think about what you ate yesterday. With your breakfast did you have any fruit? With your lunch did you have any veggies? And with your dinner did you have any fruits or veggies?
According to the USDA food pyramid we are to be eating 3-5 servings of vegetables and 2-4 servings of fruits. Not to mention the 6-11 servings of grains, 2-3 servings of dairy and 2-3 servings of protein. I don't know about you, but for me that is a lot of food to try to eat every day.
A new report put out by the CDC states that on average only 14% of US adults are meeting the government's goals for eating fruits and veggies. And their goal is the low end of the servings 2 fruits and 3 veggies. The CDC reports rank each state base on how well we are doing with eating our fruits and veggies. In California, only 16.1% of adults are eating the low standard of fruits and veggies.
Unfortunately, our society is failing families. If only 16.1% of adults are eating their fruits and veggies what percentage of children are eating fruits and veggies. It is important that we all make health conscious decisions not only for ourselves but also for our families. The habits children see their parents doing are the habit they themselves will form in the future.
How can we better feed ourselves and our families? Here are my top 5 tips to make sure you get in the fruits and veggies we all need.
- Plan out your meals. Spend a bit of time on the weekend to formulate each meal and remember to add in fruits and veggies.
- Grab a piece of fruit for an afternoon snack.
- Fruit is a wonderful way to end a meal; it gives you the sugar you might be craving.
- Tired of eating the same veggies - pick a color and find a new veggies that is that color. If you have children have them help you pick out a new veggie.
- Cut up the veggies - carrots, celery, broccoli or any other veggies - you get and make them accessible to everyone in the family; they will soon grab for the veggies over the chips.
Reference: Few Eating enough Fruits, Veggies