Health benefits of Fruits and vegetables

By Mindy Hermann, R.D.

Mom was right: Fruits and vegetables are extremely important for good health. Every health organization is on board with the recommendation to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables each and every day.
           
As with other plant foods, the health benefits of fruits and vegetables don’t come from just one or two nutrients. Plant foods offer a complete package of vitamins, minerals, nutrients, and phytochemicals (plant chemicals) that all work together. Companies have tried to extract, isolate, and market the active compounds in fruits and vegetables, but the health results are not the same as those that come from eating the whole food.
           
Each fruit or vegetable has different beneficial compounds, so the best strategy is to choose a variety every day. Make it easy by basing your choices on color. Try to choose at least one of each color every day. In the purple family are grapes, plums, blueberries, eggplant, and purple cabbage. The green family includes lettuce, broccoli, green beans, honeydew melon, and avocado. Onions and their relatives fall into the white family along with cauliflower, garlic, and bananas. For yellow/orange fruits and vegetables, choose cantaloupe, oranges, pineapple, carrots, and corn. Red apples, tomatoes, and watermelon are in the red family.
           
“Ask children to pick the vegetable and fruit to be served at a meal,” says Bethany Thayer, M.S., R.D., a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association and family health specialist with the Health Alliance Plan in Detroit. “Vegetables and fruits are a must. Don’t give kids a choice between yes and no.”

Grape Fizz
Purple grapes are particularly rich in resveratrol, an antioxidant that has been linked to heart health. Here is a delicious way to enjoy purple grape juice, from the Heart Smart Kids Cookbook:

• In a tall pitcher, stir together 5 cups sparkling water and 3 cups 100 percent purple grape juice. Garnish with sliced lime.