Not only are they tasty and satisfying to eat, but fruits and vegetables also pack a powerful nutrient punch that can help individuals enjoy health and well-being.
Eating a wide variety of produce throughout the week is key. Aim to fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables at meals and snacks and select options that represent each color of the rainbow. 
Eye Health
Carotenoids are plant pigments responsible for bright red, yellow and orange hues in many fruits and vegetables. Foods such as carrots, watermelon, sweet potatoes, red peppers, oranges and tomatoes are rich in carotenoids. The body uses one of the carotenoids to make vitamin A which is essential for vision.
Gut Health
Fiber is important for regularity. Eating adequate amounts of fiber may prevent or ease constipation. Fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of fiber. Whole foods rather than canned, frozen, or juiced options offer the most fiber content.
Skin Health
Eating citrus fruit is an excellent way to ensure your body receives the vitamin C it needs to produce collagen which is responsible for maintaining skin elasticity and wound healing. Strawberries, kiwi, and broccoli also offer a healthy dose of vitamin C to keep skin healthy.
Cancer Prevention
While health professionals are not entirely clear how fruits and vegetables help protect against some forms of cancer, the research suggests that eating a wide variety of produce is likely your best bet for reducing the risk of developing cancer. The Nurses’ Health Study found a correlation between eating five or more servings of fruits and veggies daily and a reduced incidence of breast cancer among women. Lycopene, a pigment in tomatoes, has also been studied and associated with a decreased occurrence of prostate cancer.
Heart Health
Like gut health, fiber plays an important role in heart health. Fiber can help maintain healthy levels of cholesterol or reduce high levels of blood cholesterol. Keeping cholesterol levels in check is a key strategy for preventing heart disease.
Maintain Blood Pressure
Potassium is abundantly found in fruits and vegetables. While we typically think of bananas and potatoes as being rich sources of this important mineral, many other fruits and vegetables including kidney beans, apricots, and broccoli offer a significant amount of potassium. Potassium helps the walls of your blood vessels to relax or loosen up. When vessels are tense or rigid, it can lead to high blood pressure.
Eating a diversity of colorful fruits and vegetables each day can be an easy way to get a complete range of the vitamins and minerals your body needs to thrive.
Sources
- Harvard School of Public Health: Nutrition Source
- Today’s Dietitian: Eye Health; The Eyes Have It.
At Mom’s Meals NourishCare®, our goal is to provide our clients with healthy and fresh meals that include a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Ordering an assortment of meals from our menu is the best way to consume all the nutrients needed every day. Customer Care Team representatives are available to assist you with placing an order and can provide nutrition information about the menu options. This supports our clients in being able to select meals that fit their tastes and nutritional needs. Let Mom’s Meals NourishCare® help you eat healthy every day.