Med Instead of Meds: Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

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To continue with transitioning to “Going Med,” transitioning to the Mediterranean Diet, we are going to learn how to eat more fruits and vegetables. There can be a lot of misinformation and confusion about nutrition, especially as we have become a social world full of access to information from a variety of resources, but also sometimes in the professional literature surrounding a healthy diet. However, eating more fruits and vegetables is one thing that most all dietary patterns, nutrition experts, and medical professionals can agree upon. This is because there is so much evidence to support the benefits of a diet heavy in fruits and vegetables.

Fruits and vegetables help protect our bodies against a variety of health concerns, such as chronic disease and overweight and obesity. One study found that consuming 9 or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day resulted in a 60% reduction in Cardiovascular Disease! We know fruits and vegetables are good for us, but why are we not eating enough of them?

When asking individuals why they don’t eat more fruits and vegetables, people reported they are too expensive, they are hard to cook, and they just don’t like them or like other things better. Therefore, we need to make fruits and vegetables more cost effective, convenient, and craveable. This isn’t difficult to do, in fact I’ll give you some tips to help you consume more fruits and vegetables.

To make fruits and vegetables more cost effective, start with buying what’s on sale. You can look through grocery store adds and plan your shopping around what they have on sale for the week. In order to do this, you may need to be a bit flexible in your recipes you plan to prepare for the week. For this season, you may substitute apples for pears, or choose spinach as your leafy green for the week. You can also choose canned or frozen for those vegetables that aren’t in season. When purchasing canned goods, watch for sodium, and opt for a low sodium or no salt added canned choice if available. If this is not available, be sure to rinse well to reduce an additional 30% of salt. If you’re purchasing canned fruits, make sure they’re packed in their own juice or packed in water rather than in syrup to avoid added sugar. If choosing frozen fruits and vegetables, choose those without added sugar or added salt.

For added convenience, try prepping fruits and vegetables so they will be ready to go when you need them. You can buy single-serve bags of apples or carrots (or other fruits and veggies), or even prepare some snack bags yourself by chopping, washing, and bagging for on the go. Utilize leftovers and turn them into ‘planned overs’ by adding them to salads, using them as a sandwich or taco filling, or topping fish or chicken. You can change up the flavor profile of those leftovers and create something new and tasty.

Lastly, make those fruits and vegetables craveable and satisfying. You can add lemon zest and olive oil to green beans, roast veggies for a caramelized, crunchy treat, add a variety of seasonings and spices for added flavor, or even add nuts to a fruit salad for added crunch. An easy way to incorporate more fruits and vegetables to your diet is by pumping up the vegetables in foods you and your family already love. For example, substitute mushrooms for half the meat in your taco filling (mushrooms have a meaty flavor and blend easily in tacos), add greens to your spaghetti, or even bulk up a tuna or chicken salad by adding crunchy vegetables like red bell pepper, celery, and carrots.

Fruits and vegetables help to give our bodies the micronutrients we need to be strong and healthy, especially during cold and flu season! Try adding extra fruits and veggies to your diet for added health benefits. To learn more about the Mediterranean diet, to watch the webinars, or for new recipes, visit MedinsteadofMeds.com. Stay tuned for our next Med Instead of Meds series by visiting our website at Sampson.ces.ncsu.edu.