Tomorrow we will kick off a 7-day Fruit and Veggie Challenge! This was done at my job and I think it is a great way to get more healthy foods into our diet. The challenge is simple: get 8 servings of fruits/vegetables each day for 7 days.
Why?
The CDC and the Produce for Better Health Foundation have launched a national campaign with the message, "Fruits & Veggies -- More Matters."
The new slogan replaces the old "5 a Day" campaign, which dates back to the early '90s. The reason? Under the U.S. government's latest food guidelines, five servings of fruits and vegetables may not be enough. Adults need anywhere from 7-13 cups of produce daily to get all the health benefits of fruits and vegetables -- including possible protection against obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer.
(from http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/fruits-veggies-more-matters)
What is a serving?
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) sets a serving size for fruit or vegetables to be equal to about one-half cup. Greens like spinach and lettuce have a serving size equal to one full cup. One serving of sliced fruit is equal to one-half cup; however a single piece of fruit, such as an apple or an orange counts as one serving.
Here are some typical serving sizes for fruits and vegetables:
Fruits
- one banana
- six strawberries
- two plums
- fifteen grapes
- one apple
- one peach
- one-half cup of orange or other fruit juice
Vegetables
- five broccoli florets
- ten baby carrots
- one Roma tomato
- 3/4 cup tomato juice
- 3/4 cup vegetable juice
- half of a baked sweet potato
- one ear of corn
- four slices of an onion
I've updated the survey for you to fill it out each day by indicating the number of servings you ate. If you can't get to the survey online, feel free to email or text me your numbers and I'll add them in for you.
Each day I'll post a delicious recipe or fun tip to help you get your 8 servings in.
Ready? Let's GET CHALLENGED!
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