." We've probably been hearing that phrase echo in our brains since about the age of 3. It's been common practice to recommend eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day, but we feel it more wise to go for at least 9 servings of fruits and vegetables daily for optimal health and nutrition. Why? Fruits and vegetables are loaded with powerful phytochemicals that help protect the cells in the body. They are loaded with vitamins, mineral and heart-healthy fiber. So what constitutes one serving and how hard is it to get nine servings a day?
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) sets a serving size for fruit or vegetables to be equal to about one-half cup. Greens like spinach and lettuce have a serving size equal to one full cup. One serving of sliced fruit is equal to one-half cup; however a single piece of fruit, such as an apple or an orange counts as one serving.
Here are more examples:
One serving of fruit equals:
- One banana
- Six strawberries
- Two plums
- Fifteen grapes
- One apple
- One peach
- One-half cup of orange or other fruit juice
- ¼ cup dried fruit
One serving of vegetables equals:
- Five broccoli florets
- Ten baby carrots
- One Roma tomato
- 3/4 cup tomato juice
- 3/4 cup vegetable juice
- Half of a baked sweet potato
- One ear of corn
- Four slices of an onion
- 1 cup raw leafy greens
When you break down the list as we did above, it makes getting 9 servings look more realistic, doesn't it? Let's look at a few examples of what it would look like to attain the goal of eating 9 servings a day.
Example 1:
Breakfast: ½ cup oatmeal with ½ banana sliced plus 3 strawberries, ½ grapefruit (or ½ cup grapefruit juice)
Snack: 10 baby carrots with hummus
Lunch: 1 cup mixed greens with 1 sliced Roma tomato, 1 stick of celery (chopped), ¼ cup chopped cucumber, ½ red bell pepper, 2 tablespoons scallions, 5 ounces grilled salmon
Snack: 1 apple with 1 tablespoon almond butter
Dinner: ½ baked sweet potato, 1 cup steamed broccoli, 4 ounces grilled chicken, ½ cup cooked brown rice.
Example 2:
Breakfast: Smoothie made with ½ cup fresh squeezed orange juice, ½ banana, ¼ cup strawberries, ¼ cup blueberries, 2 tablespoons plain yogurt, 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
Snack: 1 pear, 1 string cheese
Lunch: Tuna salad with sliced tomato and onion, ½ cup salad greens, 15 grapes, ½ apple sliced
Snack: ½ red bell pepper, 5 baby carrots, 20 almonds
Dinner: Tofu stir fry with 1 cup bok choy, 1 celery stick, 1 carrot sliced, ¼ bell pepper, ¼ onion sliced, ½ zucchini sliced, ½ cup snow peas Served over ½ cup cooked brown rice.
Foods that do not count towards your 9 servings a day include:
Ketchup
Pickles
Fruit Pies/Turnovers
Onion Rings
Hash Browns
Jam/Jelly
Fruit-flavored shakes or ice cream
Veggie "chips"
Potato chips
French fries
Go for it and be creative. Eat a rainbow. Snack on fresh fruits and veggies instead of packaged foods. Your body will thank you.