“What can you tell me about fruits and vegetables and how important are they in the diet?”

Studies show diets high in fruits and vegetables help reduce the risk for heart disease, stroke, cancer, obesity and diabetes. They contain the following important nutrients:

• Carbohydrate, containing both simple and complex. Our bodies use carbohydrate as a source of energy. In fact, our brains primarily use carbohydrate to function.
• Fiber. a non-digestible form of carbohydrate. There are two types, soluble and insoluble. Fruits and vegetables contain both, but fruits contain more soluble fiber and vegetables contain more insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber, in the intestine, binds cholesterol and removes it from the body via stools. Insoluble fiber acts as a bulking agent in the intestine helping remove undigested particles and speeding the passage of waste. High fiber diets also support weight loss and weight maintenance.
• Vitamins and minerals, essential for overall health. Some vitamins like vitamin C, carotenoids (including beta-carotene the preformed form of vitamin A in plants), folate, and vitamin K can be hard to find in the other food groups.
• Phytochemicals, found primarily in plants. They are disease fighting compounds, acting as antioxidants and altering markers associated with disease.

Fruits and vegetables are nutrient dense foods. This means they have lots of nutrients for the amount of calories. The more color you add to meals and snacks from fruits and vegetables, the more valuable nutrients you add to your diet. In fact, the USDA’s 5-a-Day campaign recommends at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, in particular 9 servings for men, 7 servings for women. How many servings do you eat?

By Marlia Braun, PhD, RD and MealWell Sports Nutrition Advisor