Foods for a longer, healthier life?

Are there foods that will lead to a healthier, longer life?   Students in my classes love to ask questions and one student noted:  �I want to live a long time.  What foods do I need to eat?�   Great question and there are foods that will decrease your risk of disease and increase your changes of living longer.  Actually, there are two food groups that will lead to a longer life: fruits and vegetables.  So boring yet so important to our health. 

• What is the minimum servings of fruits and veggies we need?  5 A Day, a minimum of 5 A Day.
• Who is lacking in fruits and veggies?  Most of us are. 

                87% of Americans are not eating enough fruit (at least a 1.5 to 2 cups a day)

                75% of Americans are not eating their veggies (2-3 cups a day)

CNBC quotes Marion Nestle, a professor nutrition at New York University as saying, �Everyone would be healthier eating more vegetables.�   (You're Still Not Eating Enough Vegetables)

CDC and the National Cancer Institute found that less than 18% of adults in every state consumed the recommended amount of fruit each day and less than 14% consumer the recommended amount of vegetables.  (And if you are counting French Fries � no go.  Too high in fat and calories.)

Goal � eat 5 or more servings of fruit and vegetables each day to lower your risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and many other health conditions. 

Even better, eat 7 or more servings a day and  lower your risk of dying from any cause over they next 8 years by 42% compared to your fellow Americans who eat only 1 serving of fruit or veggies a day. 

You can help not only yourself by eating more fruits and veggies but others.  Yesterday, my daughter was sponsoring a pizza party for youth volunteers.  She added fresh strawberries, a veggie plate to round out the lunch. The youth ate the veggie plate and devoured every strawberry.  Having a luncheon at work?  Make sure fruit and veggies are offered.  

Make your day 5 A DAY, every day.

Sources:  You're Still Not Eating Enough Vegetables,  Image Source: Fruits and Vegetables

How can you get kids to eat more fruits and veggies?

So many kids� diets today are lacking in fruits and veggies.  A lot of greasy fries but little or no fresh fruit and veggies.  A simple goal for all of us, but especially for kids is �5 A DAY�.  At least five servings of fruit and veggies a day.  I say at least, because I�ve always taught �5 A DAY� but one of my students thought eating 6 a day was too much.  Not true.  In fact, the World Health Organization recommends 9 servings a day.  But aiming for at least �5 A DAY� is a good start.   CDC has a good fact sheet and recommendations, let�s look at some of them. 

10 Ways to Help Kids Eat More Fruits and Veggies

1. Make it easy - Keep a bowl of fresh fruit on the counter.   Also, refrigerate cut up fruits and vegetables in small bags for easy snacks.  So much fresh produce is available right now. Keep it visible.
2. Serve fruits and vegetables at every meal.  Fruit for breakfast, 2 servings of fruit/vegetables at lunch and dinner.  Add veggies to foods by grating or cutting up vegetables and adding to entrees, soups.  Top cereal off with fruits.   Add some frozen fruit like strawberries or blueberries to smoothies.
3. Be a good example � are you eating �5 A Day�?  Let your kids see you snacking on fruit, low-fat salads, vegetable sides (not French Fries).   Choose fruit and veggies when eating out.
4. Pack the Fridge � when your kids open the fridge are there fruits and veggies to snack on?  Many kids like raw veggies and Ranch dressing.  Have the veggies cut up and ready to eat. 
5. Take the Challenge � challenge family members to reach the �5 A Day� challenge.  The winner can be rewarded with a small prize (not candy).
6. Promote fruit and veggies at school functions � orange slices at soccer games, more fresh fruit at school functions.  One school put bags of cut up carrots in the vending machine and sold them for 50 cents. These were a hit among students.
7. Let kids choose � one kindergarten teacher in our area promotes a vegetable a week.  One child asked their mom why they never ate zucchini, the vegetable promoted that week.  The mom was shocked her child knew what zucchini was.  So take the kids to the farmer market, take them to pick strawberries, raspberries, let them help prepare the corn, other veggies for dinner.
8. Make them fun � kids love smiley faces made from fruits and vegetables.
9. Keep trying � kids may not like a food on the first try.  Maybe serve it a different way, but try again on another day.
10. Encourage others - your friends, relatives to offer your kids fruits and vegetables.

For more ideas on getting kids to eat more fruits and veggies, see the fact sheet:  10 Ways to Help Kids Eat More Fruits and Veggies.   For great snack suggestions and pictures of how to make snacks fun for kids, go to: Snack Ideas for Kids.  

Sources:  10 Ways to Help Kids Eat More Fruits and Veggies,   Image source: Snack Ideas for Kids