Add These Produce Selections to Your Diet!

Small steps can go a long way when trying to implement healthy changes to your lifestyle. Begin introducing more produce to your diet, and you will soon feel the difference, head to toe. Start by eating vegetable-based meals. A wide variety of vegetables in your diet can provide you with the protective phytonutrients that help modulate and enhance immune function, reduce chronic/unhealthy inflammation, maintain the body's healing system, boost antioxidant defenses, and more. Plus, they are good sources of fiber, which helps to keep your digestive system running smoothly. Vegetable soups, casseroles, salads, chilis, sandwiches, stews, kabobs, pasta sauces - the list of veggie-friendly meals goes on and on. Opt for organic produce and eat a variety of colors. Next, add a serving of fruit or two to your day. For the same reasons you should eat more vegetables, you should eat more whole fruits. Start the day with some fresh fruit salad or add berries to your steal-cut oatmeal; eat a piece of fruit with your lunch; or make your desserts primarily fruit-based. Choose ones that are organic and eat a wide variety, including as many colors as you can. However, keep in mind that fruits and vegetables are not equal. Vegetables are generally higher in nutrients and lower in sugars than are fruits, and should form the bulk of your produce consumption.