How Would You Like Your Produce?

Last Thursday I reminded you that produce – whether fresh, frozen or canned – is good for your health in many ways. Antiaging, anti-cancer, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, heart-healthy, brain-boosting – the list of benefits from eating fruits and vegetables goes on and on. That leads naturally to the questions of how to buy produce and how much to consume.



9 to 10 Servings a Day

The Mediterranean food pyramid recommends an abundance of fruits and vegetables. The USDA food pyramid specifies 2 to 4 servings of fruit and 3-5 servings of vegetables a day.



In our super-size-me world, 9 servings a day may sound like an awful lot of fruits and vegetables. It’s important to realize that the USDA uses more traditional portion definitions.



A serving of fruit is 1 medium apple, banana, orange or pear, 1/2 cup of chopped, cooked, or canned fruit, or 3/4 cup of fruit juice. A serving of vegetables is 1 cup of raw leafy vegetables, 1/2 cup of other vegetables cooked or raw, or 3/4 cup of vegetable juice.



Tags: antiaging foods, recommended serving size, anti-cancer food