22 Mar 2010 Let’s hear it for fruits and vegetables

All evidence points to the “more is better” rule when it comes to produce. I challenge you to find a speck of evidence that supports the “more meat is better” lifestyle. You can have a healthy diet with meat, but you can also have a healthy diet without meat. It’s not possible to eat healthy without fruits and vegetables. (No, you cannot get the benefits of fruits and vegetables by taking a pill or eating so-called healthy chocolate.)

Most vegetables only have 10-50 calories per serving. Fruits contain 60-100 calories per serving. Compare that to a 700 calorie 8 oz. portion of sirloin steak. Or a 270 calorie plain baked potato. There’s nothing wrong with a plain baked potato, but you could have 21 broccoli spears or 5 cups of cooked broccoli for that. Vegetables and fruits are naturally low in calories.

Unlike most other foods, you can get a huge amount of vitamins, minerals and disease fighting phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables. (Meat contains no phytochemicals.)  People who average 5-6 servings of fruits and vegetables per day help to lower their risk of heart disease, stroke and some types of cancer. Let’s be clear. The research points to people who actually eat the produce. You don’t get the same benefit by taking supplements.

Don’t let the pesticides scare you from eating nutritious produce. The benefits outweigh the dangers. If pesticides do concern you, buy organic. According to the Environmental Working Group, the produce most likely to contain higher levels of pesticides include peaches, apples, bell pepper, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, kale, lettuce and grapes. Produce with the least pesticide includes onions, avocados, sweet corn, pineapple, mango, asparagus, sweet peas, kiwi, cabbage and eggplant. For a complete list, check out foodnews.org.

All fruits and vegetables are great. The benefits vary by color. Green produce have similar vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals, just like red produce have similar benefits, just like orange produce have similar benefits, etc. If you eat a variety of colors, you will get a variety of health benefits. 

It’s great if you love green vegetables, but don’t forget the red, orange, yellow, purple and yes, even white. 

The Center for Science in the Public Interest recently ranked vegetables in order of their nutrient, fiber and phytochemical composition. Here are the Top 10 scorers: 1) kale, 2) spinach, 3) collard greens, 4) Swiss chard, 5) pumpkin, 6)mustard greens, 7) sweet potato, 8) radicchio, 9) broccoli, and 10) carrots. The top ten fruits for their anti-oxidant content are: 1) blueberries, 2) cranberries, 3) blackberries, 4) prunes, 5) raspberries, 6) strawberries, 7) apples, 8) grapes, 9) cherries, and 10) plums.

Spring is right around the corner but if you can’t find good fresh fruit or vegetables, head to the frozen section of your grocery store. Frozen is just as good as fresh. Just don’t be shy with your portions. Fruits and vegetables should ideally take up half of your plate.