Fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber – things your body needs each day. Most are also low in calories and fat. That means you can fill up on vegetables and fruit even if you are watching calories.

Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables now to help keep you healthy in the future. Fruits and vegetables can lower your chances of getting certain cancers. They are also good for your heart.

Are you getting 5 a day?
Aim for at least three servings of vegetables and at least two servings of fruit each day. A serving is:

• A medium piece of fruit (about the size of your fist or a tennis ball)
• ¼ cup of dried fruit, like raisins
• ¾ cup of 100 percent fruit juice or ¾ cup of vegetable juice
• A half cup of cut fruit or most vegetables
• 1 cup of raw leafy vegetables
• A half cup of beans or peas can also count as a vegetable serving.

Remember: Frozen or canned fruits and vegetables count, too. Just watch out for added salt, sugar, and sauces. (Sauces on vegetables add fat.)

Here are some steps you can take to add fruits and vegetables to your day. Which do you do already?

• Add fruit to your cereal in the morning. Or have a 6-ounce cup of juice with breakfast.
• Take a piece of fruit, some cut vegetables or a snack box of raisins along for a snack.
• Choose 100 percent fruit juice instead of soda pop or fruit drinks.
• Add a tossed salad or bowl of vegetable soup to your lunch or dinner.
• Keep some ready-to-eat raw vegetables in a container in your refrigerator. They will be on hand when you feel like snacking.
• Use fruit or fruit salad as a dessert.
• Be adventurous. Try a new fruit or vegetable each week.

Groups of people who eat plenty of fruits and vegetables tend to have less cancer and heart disease. Some think the antioxidants in fruits and vegetables help prevent these diseases.

Antioxidants are a group of substances that help protect the cells in our bodies. They include vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and some minerals, such as selenium. These vitamins and minerals are also sold as pills, but antioxidant pills might not have the same effect as antioxidants in foods. Studies of antioxidant pills have shown little or no evidence of protection from cancer and heart disease in most cases. In one study, smokers who took beta-carotene pills were more likely to get lung cancer than other smokers were.

The safest way to get antioxidants is to eat foods that naturally contain them. This includes fruits and vegetables. As a bonus, fruits and vegetables have other things in them that help keep you healthy, including fiber and substances that can’t be found in pills.

• Eat 5 A Day for Better Health
  http://www.5aday.gov