Which fruits and vegetables should I eat?
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Manuel Villacorta of Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics answered:When it comes to choosing fruits and veggies, I like to tell people to "Eat the rainbow," which means mixing it up with as many colors as you can: red, green, yellow, purple, and orange. Different colors of fruit provide a wide range of vitamins, minerals, fiber, phytochemicals, and antioxidants that your body uses to help maintain a healthy weight, protect against the effects of aging, and reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and certain types of cancer. The ideal goal is to eat one of each color in the space of a week, mixing between fruits and vegetables. Think blueberries, bananas, red peppers, squash, and so on. This is important because each color packs different phytonutrients that bring specific benefits.
Find out more about this book: Eating Free: The Carb-Friendly Way to Lose Inches, Embrace Your Hunger, and...
When it comes to choosing fruits and veggies, I like to tell people to "Eat the rainbow," which means mixing it up with as many colors as you can: red, green, yellow, purple, and orange. Different colors of fruit provide a wide range of vitamins,... More -
Dr. Edward Phillips answered:The key to getting the greatest benefit from fruits and vegetables in your diet is to eat a variety of them on most days. And to get the most out of the fruits and vegetables you do eat, go for those with deep, rich colors; they contain the most powerful phytochemicals. That's because some of the pigments (chemicals that provide color) in fruits and vegetables are healthy phytochemicals.
No single type of fruit or vegetable can deliver all the known beneficial phytochemicals and nutrients. Try to get at least one serving daily from each of the following categories:
- dark green or leafy vegetables (dark lettuce, kale, spinach, broccoli)
- yellow or orange fruits and vegetables (squash, carrots, nectarines, cantaloupe)
- red fruits and vegetables (red peppers, tomatoes, strawberries)
- legumes (lentils, green beans, soybeans, and other beans)
- citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruits, lemons, limes).
The key to getting the greatest benefit from fruits and vegetables in your diet is to eat a variety of them on most days. And to get the most out of the fruits and vegetables you do eat, go for those with deep, rich colors; they contain the... More -
Toby Smithson of Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics answered:Fresh, frozen, canned, or dried fruits and vegetables all count as sources of a serving of fruit or vegetable. If you choose canned vegetables choose the no added salt versions. Include a variety of colors of both fruit and vegetables. White fleshed fruits and vegetables also have been shown to have health benefits for lowering the risk of heart disease. The key is to have a variety of fruits and vegetables throughout the day.
Fresh, frozen, canned, or dried fruits and vegetables all count as sources of a serving of fruit or vegetable. If you choose canned vegetables choose the no added salt versions. Include a variety of colors of both fruit and vegetables. White fleshed... More -
Dr. Henry Lodge answered:It makes very little difference which ones you eat, but try to eat at least four different colors of fruits and vegetables each day (shades of green count). And don’t listen to people who malign fruit on account of its sugar content. That’s nonsense. Fruit is loaded with nutrients, and in the context of the sugar load of our modern diets, worrying about the downside of fruit is silly.
Find out more about this book: Younger Next Year for Women: Live Strong, Fit, and Sexy - Until You're 80 a...
It makes very little difference which ones you eat, but try to eat at least four different colors of fruits and vegetables each day (shades of green count). And don’t listen to people who malign fruit on account of its sugar content.... More
