Contents:
- Medical Video: Staggering Results Eating 7 Portions Fruit & Veg A Day!
- Why do you need to eat vegetables and fruit every day?
- Nutrient content of vegetables and fruits based on color
- How many fruits and vegetables are needed every day?
- How to add intake of vegetables and fruits in the daily diet
Medical Video: Staggering Results Eating 7 Portions Fruit & Veg A Day!
Vegetables and fruit, these two types of food are recommended to be consumed every day. However, unfortunately there are still individuals who do not like vegetables and rarely eat fruit. In fact, eating vegetables and fruit every day has many benefits for health.
Why do you need to eat vegetables and fruit every day?
Vegetables and fruit are two things that cannot be separated. Both contain vitamins and minerals, as well as fiber that the body needs every day. Some important vitamins and minerals contained in vegetables and fruits are vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, magnesium, zinc, potassium, phosphorus, and folic acid. These ingredients can certainly meet your nutritional needs, which are also useful for preventing various diseases. For example, potassium in bananas can help reduce high blood pressure, reduce the risk of losing bone mass, and prevent kidney stones.
Fiber in vegetables and fruit also plays a role in preventing various diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and diseases related to the digestive system. This is because fiber can help you reduce bad cholesterol, control blood sugar levels, smooth the digestive system, and make you more full so you don't overeat.
Nutrient content of vegetables and fruits based on color
Various colors found in vegetables and fruits also turn out to have the meaning of each. Here it means:
- Colored vegetables and fruit red (such as tomatoes and watermelons) contain lycopene. Lycopene can help the body fight certain cancers, such as prostate cancer, and heart disease.
- Colored vegetables and fruit green (such as spinach, kale, and broccoli) contain lutein and zeaxanthin. These two substances can help prevent age-related eye diseases, such as cataracts.
- Colored vegetables and fruit blue and purple (such as eggplant and blueberries) contain anthocyanins. Anthocyanin can also help the body avoid cancer.
- Colored vegetables and fruit white (like cauliflower) containing sulforaphane. This substance can also help protect your body from various types of cancer.
How many fruits and vegetables are needed every day?
The Indonesian Ministry of Health recommends eating 5 servings of vegetables and fruits every day. Likewise with world health organizations or WHO that recommend eating vegetables and fruit 5 servings per day. WHO has collected a lot of evidence that found that eating vegetables and fruit at least 400 grams per day (1 serving = 80 grams) is needed for:
- Meet nutritional needs
- Reducing the risk of serious diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, and some types of cancer
Five servings per day is the minimum amount. So, the more you consume it, the better. However, apparently the portion of this portion is still too high for Indonesians. The proof is that Indonesians still eat less vegetables and fruits. 2013 Basic Health Research reports that 93.5% of Indonesians still lack vegetables and fruit (less than 5 servings per day).
How to add intake of vegetables and fruits in the daily diet
There are many ways you can add vegetables and fruit to your menu everyday. So, there is no reason for you to skip eating vegetables and fruit every day. Some ways that you can do are:
- Add slices of bananas, apples, strawberries, kiwi and others into your cereal bowl every morning. You can also make yogurt with added fruit or fruit salad every morning for your breakfast.
- At lunch or dinner, take at least one or two different servings of vegetables. This method can also help you lose weight because the fiber contained in vegetables can make you full longer.
- Try to always eat fruit as a dessert after eating the main food.
- If you make fruit juice, it doesn't hurt if you also add vegetables to it. So, the nutrients contained in the juice are more complete.
- Make fruit as your snack when you feel hungry between main meals.
