THE ESSENTIAL
- Fruit juices do not count as a serving of fruit. They are very sweet and low in fiber. If you drink it, it is recommended not to take more than one glass per day and to favor fresh squeezed fruit.
- Nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, unsalted pistachios) are not considered fruit and vegetables. However, it is recommended to eat a small handful a day because they are rich in omega-3.
According to the panel of nutrition experts fromU.S. News which meets every year mediterranean diet, DASH and flexitarian are the three best diets for your health. Their common point? Fruits and vegetables are their main components. Although we know the health benefits of these foods, many of us do not eat enough of them.
The 1-2-3 approach, put forward by the American hospital Mayo Clinic, helps to develop good habits at the table throughout the day.
Fruits and vegetables: what is the 1-2-3 approach?
The 1-2-3 approach is quite simple to integrate into your daily life. She recommends eating:
- 1 serving of fruit or vegetables for breakfast;
- 2 servings at lunch;
- 3 servings at dinner and during snacks.
It takes 100g for one serving. If you don’t have a scale with you, it’s usually the size of a fist or two full tablespoons.
“When you add fruits and vegetables to your meals and snacks, you’ll find it can be fun and easy to get six servings. Keep fresh, frozen, and canned fruits and vegetables on hand for easy adding. meals and your favorite dishes”advises dietician Anne Harguth in an article published on the Mayo Clinic website.
Tips for getting more vegetables and fruit at every meal
Rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals, fruits and vegetables have protective effects once morest many pathologies such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease or obesity. The nutrition specialist shared several tips to integrate them more easily into each meal.
For breakfast, she suggests, for example, preparing a smoothie with fresh or frozen fruit. It may be beneficial, she says, to add a handful of spinach or kale. If you don’t have time to get out the blender, you can slip a handful of berries, a banana or pieces of peach into your cereal or yogurt. And if you’re really in a hurry, just bite into an apple.
For the lunch break, the expert advises adding vegetables to your sandwich. If you are in a restaurant, ask for vegetables to accompany the dish. And at home, “Make a salad with at least 3 cups of leafy greens. You can add chopped vegetables and fruits for more flavor and texture”she adds.
For dinner, for example, grill vegetables with a minimum amount of oil. “Thread them on a skewer or toss them in a grill basket. Grilling works for fruits, including peaches, pineapples and mangoes”, she says. To eat more vegetables, the expert also suggests adding them to sauces, soups or dishes. “Good options are onions, peas, beans, tomatoes, peppers, and spinach.”
If the 1-2-3 approach helps to incorporate more vegetables into the diet, you can easily go beyond the 6 servings provided by the method. When it comes to fruits and vegetables, more is always better.
