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Hey everyone!
It's time for a challenge!
We all know that eating our fruits and veggies is good for us, but apparently 90% of Americans don't eat enough produce! Fruits & veggies are low in calories, fat, sodium, and cholesterol, and they're high in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, water content, and fiber. Eating the recommended 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day will not only help to keep you healthy, but because they're low in calories and high in fiber, it'll probably help you to lose weight too!
This week's challenge is pretty simple. Starting tomorrow, aim to eat 5+ servings of fruits & veggies a day for the next week! Next Tuesday, another post will be up for all the participants to share their stories in the comments section, including what worked, what didn't, new ways to eat fruits and veggies, and tasty recipes!
A few quick guidelines:
* Fresh, frozen, canned, dried, juiced, whatever, it all counts!
* A note on juice- while juice is good, it's not quite as good as the real thing because it tends to be higher in calories and lighter on fiber. When it comes to juice, chose one that is 100% juice and doesn't have any added sugar, and make sure to measure your serving.
* Keep the preparation healthy!
* If you're wondering what a serving is:
* 1/2 cup of fruit
* 1 medium piece of fruit
* 1/4 cup of dried fruit
* 3/4 cup (6 ounces) of 100% fruit or vegetable juice
* 1 cup of leafy vegetables
* 1/2 cup of cooked or raw vegetables
-OR-
* 1 medium apple or orange: the size of a tennis ball
* 1 cup vegetables or fruit: the size of a baseball
* 1 medium potato: the size of a computer mouse
* 1 cup of lettuce: 4 leaves
* A few easy ways to incorporate fruits and veggies- add berries to oatmeal, cereal, yogurt, or cottage cheese; add veggies for pre-prepared soups; order a veggie slice of pizza instead of regular or meat; add as many veggies as possible to your sandwiches; add double veggies to your pasta dishes; have a fruity smoothie; have a piece of fruit with your lunch; add veggies to your omlette....you get the idea!
Here are a few links to help get you started:
5 A Day- Jusg eat more fruits and veggies- why to do it, what counts, and fast, easy recipes.
American Cancer Society: Fruits & Veggies: Do you get enough???
Get Your Fruits & Veggies: CDC
Vegetarian Recipes
Veggie Side Dishes
Sensational Salads- Fresh, new salad ideas!
Okay, who's in??????
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