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!