There’s a lot of nutrition packed in those colorful food groups

By KRISTIN HOLTZ
Staff Writer

Yellow bananas. Red peppers. Orange carrots. Green apples. Blue berries. Purple eggplant. Black beans. White cauliflower — fruits and vegetables carry quite a nutritious punch.

Unfortunately, most Americans do not eat enough from these colorful food groups.

“We’re such a fast-paced world nowadays that it seems like we’re always on the go, forever eating out of our cars and not sitting down for dinner,” McLeod County health educator Kerry Ward said. “We grab what’s easy and fast and usually what’s not good for us.”

Fruits and vegetables are a critical part of good health.

Naturally low in calories and fat, they can substitute for higher calorie foods when trying to lose weight. They are also cholesterol-free, low in sodium and high in important nutrients like potassium, fiber, folate, and vitamins A and C.

Research suggests that the essential vitamins and minerals in fruits and vegetables can also help prevent certain chronic diseases, such as stroke, type 2 diabetes, some types of cancer, and perhaps cardiovascular disease and hypertension.

In 2005, the U.S. Department of Agriculture simplified its daily recommendations to numbers of cups in the revised MyPyramid. The 5-a-Day serving slogan is no longer enough.

The amount of fruits and vegetables needed daily depends on age, sex and level of physical activity. For individuals getting less than 30 minutes of moderate physical activity daily, MyPyramid recommends between 1.5 and 2.5 cups.

Health educators offer these tips on how to get your daily cups of fruits and veggies:
<< Try something new. Meeker County health educator Pam Bagley said many people get into a fruit and vegetable habit and don’t eat enough variety. She encourages parents to invite kids to participate on shopping trips, encouraging them to pick up an unknown item.

“Maybe try something new every week that you haven’t tried before,” Bagley said. “... If you start giving our kids good habits, those are habits that are likely to carry over to their teenage years and their parenting years.”

<< Make it portable. Ward recommends keeping small cans or snack packs of fruits, vegetables and raisins in your purse, backpack or desk. At home, make selecting fruits and veggies easy.

“Always have fresh fruit sitting out that you can always grab on the go,” Ward said.

<< Choose better at restaurants. When eating out, skip french fries and ask for salad or fresh fruit instead.

<< Keep a food log. Tracking your food intake can be an eye-opener and a way to see how to fit more fruits and veggies into your daily routine, Ward said.

“There are little, simple steps we can take to reach better nutrition,” Ward said.

How many fruits and veggies are recommended?

Children
2 to 3 years old — Fruit: 1 cup; Veggies: 1 cup
4 to 8 years old — Fruit: 1 to 1.5 cups; Veggies: 1.5 cups

Girls
9 to 13 years old — Fruit: 1.5 cups; Veggies: 2 cups
14 to 18 years old — Fruit: 1.5 cups; Veggies: 2.5 cups

Boys
9 to 13 years old — Fruit: 1.5 cups; Veggies: 2.5 cups
14 to 18 years old — Fruit: 2 cups; Veggies: 3 cups

Women
19 to 30 years old — Fruit: 2 cups; Veggies: 2.5 cups
31 to 50 years old — Fruit: 1.5 cups; Veggies: 2.5 cups
51 + years old — Fruit: 1.5 cups; Veggies: 2 cups

Men
19 to 30 years old — Fruit: 2 cups; Veggies: 3 cups
31 to 50 years old — Fruit: 2 cups; Veggies: 3 cups
51 + years old — Fruit: 2 cups; Veggies 2.5 cups

Did You Know?
<< Fruits produce an ethylene gas as they ripen that will decrease storage life of vegetables. Best to store separately.
<< Iron and calcium in plant foods are not highly absorbed by the body.
<< Beans, asparagus, oranges, melons and leafy greens are good sources of folate, an important nutrient for pregnant women.
<< Oranges are technically a hesperidium, a kind of berry.
<< Pears rank second to apples as the most popular U.S. fruit.
<< A red bell pepper is simply a mature green bell pepper that has aged to produce a sweeter and milder flavor. Red peppers contain 11 times more beta carotene than green peppers.
<< Dried fruits and vegetables are high in fiber and carbohydrates. However, drying loses some nutrients, like vitamin C.
<< Artichokes, a close relative to the thistle family, are actually flower buds.
<< Grapes are 80 percent water.
<< Americans eat 18.8 pounds of fresh and storage-type onions each year.

Avocado
Nutrients: Fiber, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin E, magnesium, folate
Serving size: 1/2 cup, cubed
How to serve: Upon peeling, serve immediately or sprinkle with lemon or lime juice or white vinegar.

Banana
Nutrients: Fiber, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B6
Serving size: 1 small banana
How to serve: Ripen at room temperature, but store in refrigerator to keep ripe.

Broccoli
Nutrients: Vitamin C, fiber, vitamin A, calcium, iron, folate
Serving size: 5 broccoli florets raw, 1/2 cup cooked
How to serve: Frozen broccoli has more beta-carotene than fresh, but also more
sodium and half the calcium.

Carrots
Nutrients: Vitamin A
Serving size: 6 baby carrots, 1 medium carrot
How to serve: Cooked carrots have more vitamins than raw.

Corn
Nutrients: Vitamin C, iron, fiber
Serving size: 1/2 cup cooked, 1 small ear (6 inches)
How to serve: Store corn in cool area to preserve sugar from turning to starch.

Eggplant
Nutrients: Vitamin C
Serving size: 1/2 cup cooked, cubed
How to serve: Should not be eaten raw.

Figs
Nutrients: Fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C
Serving size: 1/2 cup raw
How to serve: Fresh available July through September.

Grapefruit
Nutrients: Vitamin A, vitamin C
Serving size: 1/2 medium grapefruit
How to serve: Leave at room temperatures a couple of hours before eating.

Kiwi
Nutrients: Vitamin C, fiber, protein, vitamin E, potassium
Serving size: 1 kiwi
How to serve: The fuzzy skin of kiwi is edible. Can be used as a meat tenderizer.

Leeks
Nutrients: Vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron, protein
Serving size: 1/2 cup raw
How to serve: Often used in Asian and European cuisines.

Lime
Nutrients: Vitamin C, fiber
Serving size: 1 medium lime, raw
How to serve: Roll limes before juicing. Key limes’ high acidity is good for baking.

Melon
Nutrients: Vitamin C, potassium, vitamin A, folate
Serving size: 1 cantaloupe/honeydew wedge, 6 watermelon balls
How to serve: Always wash melons in warm soapy water before cutting.

Nectarine
Nutrients: Vitamin A, vitamin C
Serving size: 1 nectarine
How to serve: Can be served just like peaches.

Okra
Nutrients: Vitamin C, calcium, iron, magnesium, fiber
Serving size: 1/2 cup, cooked and sliced
How to serve: Do not wash until ready to use to prevent sliminess.

Peas
Nutrients: Fiber, potassium, iron, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, zinc
Serving size: 1/2 cup cooked
How to serve: Only 5 percent sold fresh, rest canned or frozen.

Pineapple
Nutrients: Vitamin C, potassium, fiber
Serving size: 1/2 cup, diced, 1 4-oz. snack container
How to serve: Test ripeness by pulling out top leaves.

Quince
Nutrients: Vitamin C, calcium, iron, fiber
Serving size: 1 quince
How to serve: Not eaten fresh because of astringency. Most often used in jellies and jams.

Rhubarb
Nutrients: Vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, fiber
Serving size: 1/2 cup diced
How to serve: Fresh is tart and rarely eaten raw. Most common use for cooked is pie.

Spinach
Nutrients: Vitamins A, B, C and E, iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, folate
Serving size: 1/2 cup cooked greens, 1 cup raw greens
How to serve: Grows in sandy soil so wash thoroughly. Improved nutrition served cooked.

Tomatoes
Nutrients: Potassium, vitamin C, vitamin A, iron, fiber, protein, vitamin E
Serving size: 1 small raw, 1 medium canned
How to serve: Store at room temperature out of sunlight until ripe.

Winter Squash
Nutrients: Fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron, protein, potassium
Serving size: 1/2 cup baked
How to serve: Skin is hard and inedible but improves storage life.

Yam (Sweet Potato)
Nutrients: Vitamin A, vitamin C, fiber, potassium
Serving size: 1/2 large sweet potato, baked
How to serve: Best to cook whole with skins to preserve nutrients.

Zucchini
Nutrients: Protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, fiber
Serving size: 1/2 cup cooked, sliced or diced
How to serve: The skin and rind are rich in beta-carotene but the fleshy portion is not.