Wait Less for Weight Loss

Mom was Right, Five Servings A Day

Growing up, you probably heard that you should eat “five a day” of fruits and veggies.  Chances are, it was repeated by your mother, grandma, and even school officials.  Guess what?  They were right… almost!

In fact, the new guidelines established by the United States government suggest that five is the bare minimum for most healthy adults (see www.5aday.gov).  They recommend upping the ante to as much as “9 a day”!  For some vegans out there, that’s easy enough to do; actually, they might get many more servings on a daily basis.  But for meat-eaters who grew up despising anything green or that grows on a tree, even five seems an impossibility.

If you are one of those folks who just cannot seem to get his or her five a day, take heart.  First, a serving size isn’t as large as you might imagine.  Secondly, there are plenty of sneaky (and fun!) ways to get your five fruits and/or vegetables a day without totally shaking up your system.  (Just be aware that you might find yourself having some mild intestinal distress when you first introduce fibrous foods into your diet.  Beano or a similar anti-gas medication may help.)

Hide Those Veggies!  - If you make a soup or stew, throw in a handful of finely chopped carrots, onions, or celery.  Or add tomatoes and potatoes.  Corn, peas, and beans also make excellent additions.  Most of the time, the flavors mingle so well with one another that you don’t even realize you’re eating vegetables.

Drink Your Veggies! – Some juice makers have jumped on the five a day bandwagon.  Consequently, they are offering yummy juice drinks made from a mixture of sweet fruit juices and healthy vegetable ones.  Look for mixtures contain carrot and tomato juices; just be careful of the sodium level.  (Some manufacturers add too much salt to increase the “flavor”; this is dangerous, especially for people with hypertension.)

Be Adventurous! – Don’t like bananas?  Not a big apple fan?  Why not go outside of the ordinary and taste test some unusual fruits?  Try an ugli fruit (it’s of the citrus family and doesn’t taste anything like its name implies).  Or buy a papaya (they are quite sweet, so kids often love them) or mango when they are in season.  For a fun fruit treat, munch on slices of kiwi or star fruit. 

Remember that there are many different ways to make sure by the time you hit the sack, your tummy has been treated to at least five fruits or veggies.

SOURCE:

www.5aday.gov