March is here, and that means it’s officially National Nutrition Month®! I love this year’s theme, Eat Right with Color. A wonderful way to boost the nutritional quality of your diet and improve your health is to add more colorful fruits and vegetables to your meals and snacks. Different colored fruits and vegetables contain different types of cancer-fighting antioxidants, which is why we should eat a rainbow of colorful fruits and vegetables.
How many fruits and vegetables should we eat each day?
The slogan used to be “5 A Day for Better Health,” but now we’ve discovered that’s not enough for most individuals to experience the maximum health benefits. Today, the Produce for Better Health Foundation’s slogan is “More Matters,” because most people will improve their health by increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables they eat. The new 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends filling half your plate with fruits and vegetables at every meal and snack. This will help ensure you’re eating enough nutrients and may help prevent overindulging in higher calorie foods.
Fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables. Now, that’s Eating Right with Color!
Nicole Geurin, MPH, RD 