You know that you should be eating more fruits and vegetables, but have you really thought about why? As we wrap up March as National Nutrition Month, we want to share just 5 great benefits of adding fruits and vegetables to your healthy diet!

1. Vitamins & minerals
   Fruits and veggies are gold mines of all the necessary vitamins and minerals that our bodies need. From minerals like potassium, which helps maintain a healthy blood pressure, to the essential B vitamins, which help with metabolism and energy among many other things, eating a variety of fruits and vegetables can go a long way toward meeting your daily requirements for necessary vitamins and minerals.
2. Antioxidants
   Certain vitamins and minerals, as well as flavonoids, are known as antioxidants, which protect the body against cell damage, often known as “free radicals.” Free radicals can be the precursor to disease so antioxidants are necessary for counteracting the effects and damage done to our cells. A diet rich in a variety of fruits and veggies is the best way to get the beneficial effects of these antioxidants.
3. Fiber
   A necessary component of a healthy diet, fiber is associated with reduced risk for certain cancers, heart disease and diabetes. Fiber also helps us feel full after eating which helps with weight management. It is better to eat whole fruits and veggies rather than juices, which typically do not contain any fiber.
4. Water content
   Whole fruits and veggies have a high water content which adds to your feeling of fullness without adding calories. High volume foods with lower calories are one of the keys to successful weight management. This is also why dried fruit is higher in calories without the volume, all the water has been removed!
5. Low calories
   The fiber, water content and nutrients in fruits and vegetables give you a perfect high-volume, low-calorie, nutrient-dense foundation for a healthy diet. More is definitely better when it comes to fruits and vegetables for managing your weight.

For your health and your weight, you really can’t go wrong with whole fruits and vegetables. Which fruit or veggie do you eat the most?

This entry was posted on Monday, March 29th, 2010 at 4:44 pm and is filed under Diet & Exercise Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.