Getting Your Daily Servings of Fruit and Vegetables

While there is a plethora of medical studies that support this adage, most people still don't come close to filling their plates with the daily serving of fruits and vegetables. In fact, the CDC reports that only around one in ten adults can confidently say they consume daily servings of fruits and vegetables.

The lack of proper nutrition from one's diet may heavily contribute to the onset of chronic conditions such as obesity and diabetes. This is one of the main reasons why we see an increased awareness about the importance of having a healthy diet and lifestyle.

A diet rich in fruits and vegetables provides a generous amount of vitamins, minerals, fiber, good cholesterol, antioxidants and much more with a wide variety of color, taste and texture!

In this article, we will explore some of the ways to incorporate your favorite fruits and vegetables based on your lifestyle! Let's dive in!

Are Some Fruits & Vegetables More Important Than Others?

Fruits and vegetables contain an abundance of naturally occurring phytochemicals with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.  Consuming a healthy proportion of fruits and vegetables is linked to a reduced risk of heart disease,  healthy blood pressure, and a reduced pace of cognitive loss. Leafy green vegetables are rich sources of various carotenoids (these give plants their pigment and act as a type of antioxidant in humans) that promote healthy aging of the brain, reduced incidence of cataract and macular degeneration, and a healthy immune system.

Additionally, adding whole fruits to your diet can be a key aspect of your strategy to enhance your nutrient and phytochemical intake. However, there are certain limitations. Fruit has higher calories in each serving compared to non-starchy veggies since it has more natural sugars. But that doesn't mean you should refrain from eating whole fruit. 

Fruit is a great replacement for  calories from snacks like cookies, granola bars, potato chips, candies, etc. Whole fruit is also a great alternative to fruit juice. It’s important to note that fruit juice does not contain satiating fiber like whole fruit does and that  fresh fruit contains fewer calories and less sugar per serving than dried fruit. 

If you're working on improving your consumption of nutrients linked to a specific health benefit, it is best to incorporate a blend of fruits and vegetables into your daily diet.

How to Determine Whether You're Getting Enough Fruits and Vegetables

According to the US Dietary Guidelines for Americans, every adult following a 2,000-calorie diet should eat at least 1 - 2 cups of fruits and 2.5 cups of vegetables daily.  A great way to supplement your fruit and veggie intake  is to include Superfood Blends into  your diet. Greens and superfood blends are a hassle-free way of ensuring that we get our daily servings of vitamins, minerals, pre and probiotics with hardly any preparation.  If you're working on improving your intake of nutrients to better support your active and busy lifestyle, greens and superfood blends are not only delicious and filling but also time and cost efficient! 

Take a look at the Cardiff Feel Good Daily essential superfoods pre & probiotic blend. Each serving consists of; 

• GREEN FOOD BLEND: This blend includes organic alfalfa powder, wheat grass powder,organic barley grass powder,  organic broccoli powder, organic spirulina powder, organic spinach powder, and organic chlorella powder.
• ANTIOXIDANT BLEND: This blend includes organic rose hip extract 4:1 (Rosa Canina)(fruit), black cherry powder, green tea (50% polyphenols) (Camellia Sinensis), organic acai powder, organic beetroot powder, organic carrot powder, pineapple powder, organic maca root powder, organic raspberry powder, goji berry, organic blueberry powder, organic ginger root powder, organic turmeric powder, and pomegranate powder.

Fruit and vegetable blends are a hassle-free way of ensuring that we get our daily servings of fruit and vegetables. 

How to Make Sure You Eat Your Daily Fruits & Veggies

When we start a healthy diet, we may find it hard to find the right consistency and discipline to keep the new habit going. It is paramount to find a routine and stick to it so we don’t revert to unhealthy eating habits. Implementing a dietary change can often seem overwhelming. Here are a few tips to facilitate a healthy, consistent and sustainable method to ensure you achieve your dietary and nutrient goals: 

Include Them in Your Breakfast

Kick off your morning with a nutritious and filling breakfast containing fruits and vegetables. Some delicious options include adding vegetables, herbs and microgreens to your omelets or  breakfast sandwiches, blending your favorite fruits into a fruit juice, shake or smoothie. Creating a hearty yogurt bowl with your choice of fruits, nuts, and seeds is an excellent source of probiotics and will keep you full and fueled until lunch.

Keep Them in Plain Sight

Make your fresh fruits and vegetables more  available and accessible  to motivate you and your family to eat them. 

Plan Ahead

You can ensure your meals are packed with essential nutrients from nourishing fruits and vegetables by preparing in advance. To ensure you have everything you'll need, try planning your meals over the weekends and have a predetermined shopping list. Try putting aside some time over the weekend to choose several recipes and then create a shopping list.

A Healthy Snack or Dessert

Fresh, frozen and cooked fruits and vegetables can make amazing substitutes for calorie-filled snacks and desserts like cookies, chips, crackers, candies and other processed foods. 

Pack a Healthy Lunch

Making your own packed lunches in advance can save you time and money, and they are typically more enticing and healthful than pre-cooked meals and sandwiches from the store. Salads are another great way to make your regular meals more fun. Try exploring different dressings and ingredients to add more color, flavor and texture! 

Fruits and Vegetables For The Win

Given all the benefits  that fruits and vegetables offer, adding them to your meals as often as possible only makes sense. You may find you feel happier and healthier with the added bonus of strengthening your immune system. Cardiff ingredients contain the necessary nutrients from your favorite fruits and vegetables. Cardiff's Feel Good Daily Superfood Blends also contain a healthy serving size of both.