Choosing Fruits and Veggies for Your Healthy Diet

63

By rachaelgerk

A healthy diet consists of plenty of fruits and veggies. These foods provide you with many benefits including an abundance of vitamins and minerals. They also provide a large amount of antioxidants, which have been proven to keep you healthier and even help to prevent some cancers.

Most are low in fat and calories, which make them a perfect choice for those who want to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. They are also known to help prevent diabetes and heart disease. So how should you go about choosing fruits and veggies for your diet?

Choose Local

Whenever possible, choose locally produced fruits and veggies. You can usually find some options at your local health food stores, but if you have access to farmer’s markets it is a good idea to head there at least once a week.

Many farmers who sell their produce at these markets produce their food organically which is important as you want to avoid as many pesticides and chemicals as possible. Local fruits and veggies are also a lot fresher and therefore nutritious than those flown halfway across the country, and in some cases the world, in order to find their way to your store shelves.

Make Colorful Choices

In order to make sure you get the most from your healthy diet, make sure you choose fruits and veggies that come in a wide range of colors. Because each fruit and vegetable provides its own unique nutrient base, you can cover all your bases by eating as many different colors of foods as possible. Red bell peppers, carrots, green leafy veggies, celery, purple eggplant, garlic, red cabbage, oranges, bananas, apples, jackfruit, avocados, and melons are all excellent choices.

Try Something New

Every time you go to the store or farmer’s market to purchase your fruits and veggies, make it a point to try something you have never tried before. This can greatly expand your options and will provide you with a larger base of foods to choose from. Consider visiting an Asian market and trying some tropical fruits or choosing leafy greens you’ve never had before to make your salads with. Some experimentation can keep things exciting so you don’t get bored eating the same things on a daily basis.

Comments

Obelia profile image

Obelia 16 months ago

I loved my farmer's markets in NC! Even my kids got excited about picking out vegetables! Now, to go figure out what jackfruit is... I saw it used once during a "Chopped" episode, but I didn't pay much attention.

georgiecarlos profile image

georgiecarlos Level 2 Commenter 3 months ago

Thanks for sharing this! I have been trying my best to incorporate as much fruits and vegetables in my diet. I'm sure your tips can further encourage me!

Submit a Comment
Members and Guests

Sign in or sign up and post using a hubpages account.



    • No HTML is allowed in comments, but URLs will be hyperlinked
    • Comments are not for promoting your Hubs or other sites

    Please wait working