We all know eating more fruits and veggies is smart advice for our health and waistlines, but what about those pesky pesticide residues?

According to the Environmental Working Group, both U.S. and international government agencies acknowledge that pesticides have been linked with a variety of toxic effects on the nervous and hormone systems, as well as skin, eye, and lung irritation, and various cancers. Yikes! What can you do to minimize your exposure to these nasty compounds?

For starters, switch to organic produce, meats, and dairy. I know shopping for organics can get pretty pricely. Luckily, the EWG has tested numerous fruits and vegetables for pesticide residues and conveniently ranked them from best to worst.

If you’re not quite ready to make an all-out switch to organics, start with the “Dirty Dozen.” By shopping for organic versions of the twelve worst pesticide offenders, you’ll dramatically cut your exposure:

Buy Organic: 

Peaches
Apples
Sweet Bell Peppers
Celery
Nectarines
Strawberries
Cherries
Kale
Lettuce
Grapes (imported from outside U.S.)
Carrots
Pears

Need a reminder when you hit the produce aisle? Download the pocket size Shopper’s Guide To Pesticides or EWG’s free app Dirty Produce.

Stay tuned for recipes featuring “The Clean 15,” the fifteen foods that are still safe to buy conventionally.

Saturated fats, the kind found in animal products, clog blood vessels, raise cholesterol, and contribute to heart disease.  Think butter, ice cream, whole milk, cheese, various cuts of beef and pork, poultry skin, baked goods, etc.  Swapping in heart healthy plant fats for some of the animal fats in your diet can decrease your risk of future heart attacks and strokes.  Plant fats include olive and vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, olives, and the brilliant avocado.

Although there are dozens of avocado varieties, California-grown Haas avocados are among the most popular and readily available in the US. Loaded with fiber, an array of vitamins and minerals, and heart-healthy fats, this fancy fruit should star in more dishes than guacamole. Check out this chart to compare avocado with other common dips and spreads, and you’ll see that ounce-for-ounce, avocados are lower in calories, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium than butter, cheese, or mayo.  But keep in mind that although they are uber-healthy, avocados remain a concentrated fat source, and the calories can add up quickly if you’re not paying attention to portions.  So, stick to a 1-2 oz serving per day; the equivalent of 1/5 -1/4 of a medium avocado.

Aside from spreads and dips, avocados are delicious sliced and drizzled with lime-scented olive oil , tossed into salads, corn salsas, or black beans, paired with fish, or as a garnish to omelets and scrambled eggs. The possibilities are endless, but here are a few easy tips to get you started:

Breakfast Spreads Rather than butter or cream cheese, spread 1/5 of a ripe avocado on whole grain toast or an English muffin for an easy, heart-healthy breakfast.

Sandwich Toppers Swap the cheese out for a few slices of avocado on a roast turkey wrap or sandwich. Add squirts of honey and Dijon mustard, for a surprising flavor boost.  Use mashed avocado instead of mayo in tuna or chicken salad; mix with 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds, freshly chopped cilantro, and a dusting of chili powder.

Snack On It Avocado is great on crackers with a few cucumber or red pepper slices or stuffed into mini pita pockets with a few chickpeas. Or try it cubed with fresh mango, strawberry slices, and a squeeze of lime juice as a refreshing mid-day snack.

Check out the California Avocado Commission to find hundreds of recipes, from creative takes on guacamole to avocado daiquiris, plus tips for selecting and storing this mighty fruit.

What New Yorker hasn’t used Fresh Direct’s convenient online grocery service? Those trucks with the ubiqitous orange cabs can be seen squeezing down even the narrowest city streets delivering sustenance to busy Manhattanites.

With the introduction of their FREE iPhone app, Fresh Direct has now made grocery shopping more convenient than ever, at least for iPhone users.

Aside from the time-saving convience, using an on-line grocer is a great way to eat smarter. People who plan out their meals and keep their kitchens stocked with healthy items tend to eat more healthfully. Fill your cart with a variety of fresh fruits and veggies, eggs, lean meats, low-fat dairy, whole grain bread, canned beans, nuts, and even chocolate. Stock up on some convenience foods as well because you know there will be nights when you get home and that take-out menu will tempt you with it’s burgers and fries. There are over twenty-five 4-Minute heat & serve meals available with 500 calories or less. Or order a fruit or veggie tray, and snack on it throughout the week.

If you’re daunted by meal planning and grocery shopping, you’re in luck. Book an appointment with Mental Kitchen, and allow me to design a customized 1-week meal plan, complete with 7 days of nutrient-packed breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack ideas. Based on your food preferences and the bounty of food items available from Fresh Direct®, I can fill your virtual shopping cart with healthy fare. All you have to do is schedule a delivery time.

You know fruits and veggies are good for you, but just how many fruits and vegetables do you need to eat each day to enjoy their health benefits?  The short answer is about 2 1/2  cups of vegetables and 2 cups of fruit.  Any combination of cooked, uncooked, fresh, frozen, canned (in natural juices), dried, whole or chopped will do.  The more variety, the better.

Both the National Cancer Institute and the Institute of Medicine, as well as a slew of other public health agencies, have long recommend 5-9 daily servings of fruits and vegetables, about 4-5 cups in total, to ensure adequate intakes of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and the antioxidants and phytochemicals concentrated in plants.

Most fruits and vegetables are naturally low in calories and provide essential nutrients and dietary fiber. They may also play a role in preventing certain chronic diseases. When compared to people who eat only small amounts of fruits and vegetables, those who eat more generous amounts, as part of a healthy diet, tend to have reduced risk of chronic diseases. These diseases include stroke, type 2 diabetes, some types of cancer, and perhaps cardiovascular disease and hypertension.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005. 6th Edition, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, January 2005.

If fruits and veggies are so good for us, why aren’t we eating more of them?   Lack of media exposure may be partly to blame, but unfortunately, these agencies don’t have the billion dollar marketing budgets that companies like Coke, McDonald’s, and Frito-Lay do.   Consumers are endlessly exposed to the lure of sugar-laden sodas, super-sized, super caloric value meals, and salty snack chips, while fresh fruits and veggies are quietly disappearing from most Americans’ diets.   What if the American Idol judges sat at a table set with lush tropical fruit and colorful crudites rather than large, red, plastic Coke cups?  Would Americans be more inclined to chose a healthy snack or beverage if their “idols” chose them?  Maybe I’m reaching, but you see my point.

All is not lost, and there are great resources available to help in your quest to eat smarter.  The CDC has launched it’s new Fruits and Veggies Matter More campaign offering tools and information to help you do just that. There’s a calculator to find out how many fruits and vegetables you need each day, based on  your age, gender, and physical activity level.   There are plenty of tips, recipes, and visuals to get you started.

Veggie Up!

In Part 1 of this salad series I cited a study that found that people who eat daily salads have increased levels of disease-fighting vitamins and antioxidants, specifically vitamin C, vitamin E, lycopene, and carotenoids.   Are cooked veggies as protective as raw salad veggies?

Of course!! The study likely looked only at salad and raw veggie intake because it was funded by The Association for Dressings and Sauces. Sell more salad, sell more salad dressing.  All fruits and vegetables are loaded with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants unique to plant foods, and cooking even enhances the activity of some of these compounds, like the lycopene found in tomatoes.  While eating a salad-a-day is a great advice,  you will get plenty of health-promoting nutrients by eating a combination of fresh and cooked vegetables and fruits as well.

The best advice it so eat a variety of different fruits and veggies each week.  Take a peek at the chart produced by the Produce for Better Health Foundation, and you’ll notice that different colored fruits and veggies have different compounds.

Variety is truly the spice of life.  Incorporate a variety of colorful fruits and veggies into your diet and you’ll reap a variety of health benefits.  Need some ideas? Click here to download a list of 50 Ways To Add More Fruits and Veggies to Your Diet to your meals and snacks.

Stay tuned for Part 3 of this series to find out how many fruits and vegetables you need to eat each day to boost your levels of these important nutrients.