What if we ate more fruits and vegetables in our diet? What would the benefits be? Here are a few good reasons:

• You would get more nutrients like calcium, fiber, folate, iron, magnesium, potassium, vitamin A and vitamin C. This would also save on the cost of paying for supplements.
• They are convenient. Grab a pack of carrots, snap peas, cut up cucumbers, an apple, banana, pear, cherry tomatoes or other fruit and veggies to take on the road for extra crunch and flavor.
• More fiber and less trips to the doctor for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), constipation, heartburn. Fiber makes you feel full, so you are likely to eat less, and take in less calories to prevent weight gain.
• Fruits and veggies can be eaten in different forms: dried, cooked, raw, 100% juice, and canned, so you don’t get bored.
• They are naturally low in calories, higher in water and have zero cholesterol.
• You can grow them. This teaches kids where they come from, and they taste better (less or no pesticides can be used).
• They can be bought in season, so they are less expensive (see list below).
• You can have fun with them. You can kabob either fruit or veggies and have them with dip or on their own. A fun kid and adult idea is “ants on a log.”

Get started now! Here is an example of a short list of fruits and veggies in season thisfall, which means more flavor, better cost and ideas for fall recipes:

• Fruits: pears, cherries, cranberries, plums, grapes, passion fruit, persimmon, pineapple, pomegranate.
• Vegetables: butternut, buttercup, acorn squash, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, butter lettuce, cauliflower, artichoke, jalapeno pepper, ginger, garlic, mushroom, lime, sweet potato, turnip.

For more information on fruit and vegetable cooking tips, seasonal fruit and veggies list, storing them, and other useful information, click here.

Reprinted with permission from Cherry Health.