The Center for Disease Control has caught on with what health and nutritionists, doctors and foodists have been advocating for years. This is great news with governments and health agencies endorsing the increased consumption of nutrient dense foods for not only fruit and vegetable diet enthusiasts but everyone. If you want to decrease the potential for diseases and high blood pressure, increase your potential to lose weight and regain vital energy, a fruit and vegetable diet is one of the first and best steps you can begin with.
Fruit and Vegetable Diet Servings/Day
Below is a listing by age and sex for new fruit and vegetable dietary suggestions. I’ve listed the amounts according to serving proportions (8-ounce) and level of activity. If you’re interested in finding a more in-depth analysis of your body type, you can visit their interactive website (see link below).
|
Age of Person: Child, Teen or Adult |
Daily servings in Cups* of Fruit & Vegetables |
Level of Physical Activity |
| 2 – 3 yr old child (boy or girl) |
2 cups |
More than 1 hour daily |
| 4-5 yr old (boy or girl) |
3 cups |
More than 1 hour daily |
| 10 – 16 yrs old (boy or girl) |
5 cups |
More than 1 hour daily |
| 16 – 18 yrs old male |
6 ½ cups |
More than 1 hour daily |
| 16 – 21 yrs old female |
5 cups |
More than 1 hour daily |
| 21 – 30 yrs old male |
6 ½ cups |
More than 1 hour daily |
| 21 – 50 yrs old female |
5 cups |
More than 1 hour daily |
| 40 – 60 yrs old male |
6 cups |
More than 1 hour daily |
| 60 + yrs male |
5 cups |
Average 30 – 60 min daily |
| 60 + yrs female |
4 cups |
Average 30 – 60 min daily |
| 70 + yrs male |
4 ½ cups |
Less than 30 min daily |
| 70 + yrs female |
3 ½ cups |
Less than 30 min daily |
*cup= 1- standard 8-ounce cup, or approx 250 ml
According to the statistics, on average a person consumes approximately 3 cups of fruits and veggies per day. To increase your benefits consider at least upping that figure by another 2 – 3 cups.
How to Stretch Your Fruit and Veggies Diet Budget
With so many local farmers markets, food and grocery stores, even backyard veggie gardens there is an endless variety to find your supply of fresh produce.
A few suggestions for how you can stretch your fruits and veggies budget is to buy seasonal fruit and veggies, start your own backyard veggie garden, minimize waste by purchasing only what you can eat, and prepare your fruit and veggies at home instead of buying salads out. And I might add, also consider buying from the ‘Clean 15’ list of fruits & veggies; or ‘organic’ to eliminate taking in toxic pesticides.
Ways to Power Pack More into Your Fruits and Veggies Diet
Breakfast:
Make smoothies for breakfast or snacks using fresh homemade yoghurt, milk, bananas and berries. Or add tomatoes, peppers, onions, even broccoli and cauliflower to eggs and omelets.
Lunches:
Fill your whole-grain pita, flatbread or 7-grain sandwiches with plenty of raw veggies. Romaine or red-leaf lettuce, cucumbers, sprouts, tomatoes, pickles, celery, snow peas; zucchini are just a few of the veggies you can use to pack in those extra nutrients.
Snack Items:
Add fresh fruit pieces to your home-baked treats. Make veggie packs of sliced carrots, celery, zucchini strips, and bell peppers for those on-the-go snacks. Try making your own fruit popsicles or berry- banana ice cream. Replace sugary jams with fresh slices of banana, peaches, plums or nectarines on top of peanut butter sandwiches,
The sky is the limit to what you can do to spice up your fruit and vegetable diet. Have fun and be creative.
Source: CDC, Fruitsandveggiesmatter, JohnShopkins
