Use the five a day rule for healthy eating

By: Tony Robinson

The five a day rule is one of the most important rules to
healthy eating. The five a day rule refers to the government's
recommendation that everyone eat at least five servings a day of
fruits and vegetables. At first blush, five a day seems like a
reasonable goal, but most people fail to eat sufficient amounts
of these important foods.

It is important to remember the many advantages of fruits and
vegetables when applying the five a day rule to your own diet.
For one thing, fruits and vegetables taste great, contain fewer
calories than many other foods and are full of many important
vitamins and minerals. In addition, fruits and vegetables are
colorful and beautiful, making them great garnishes and salad
toppings.

In addition, fruits and vegetables are easy to prepare, even for
the busiest individual. In most cases, fresh fruits require no
preparation at all, other than a quick wash and perhaps peeling.

The five a day recommendation equates to roughly two cups of
fruit and two and a half cups of vegetables every day, based on
the average 2,000 calorie diet. This is not a difficult goal to
reach, but it is important to keep the five a day goal in mind
when grocery shopping, cooking and planning meals.

One great way to get started toward a five a day lifestyle is
with a delicious serving of 100% fruit juice every morning.
Apple juice, grapefruit juice and orange juice are all excellent
choices for both taste and nutrition.

Fruits and vegetables can also be used as garnishes for other
foods. Who doesn't enjoy a sliced strawberry or banana with
their morning cereal? And fruits and vegetables make great
snacks as well. Whether you keep a couple of apples at your desk
or a selection of carrot and celery sticks in the fridge, having
fruits and vegetables readily at hand is a big part of the
battle.

Of course variety is extremely important when making any change
to your diet, and many dietary changes fail due to boredom.
Constantly trying new varieties of fruits and vegetables is a
great way to keep yourself interested in your new healthier way
of eating. If you've never had kiwi fruit or asparagus, for
instance, why not give it a try?

Combining attractive colors, shapes and sizes of fruits is
another way to provide attractive and interesting meals for
yourself and your family. Combining white grapes, red peppers
and pineapple chunks can provide a delicious and attractive
salad.

It is important to provide constant variety when implementing
the five a day plan, particularly if you are cooking for a
family. Try making some interesting new dishes, such as veggie
pizza, made with fresh vegetables and whole wheat pizza crust, a
fresh vegetable wrap, vegetable stir fry or pasta with fresh
vegetables.

For those who think they are too busy to incorporate five
servings of fruits and vegetables a day into their diet, there
is help available. The many ready to eat, prepackaged salad kits
on the market make it easier than ever to create a healthy salad
on the go. Just keep a bottle of your favorite low fat or nonfat
salad dressing on hand and you can enjoy a healthy salad
anywhere and anytime.

Even fast food restaurants have made it easier than every to eat
healthy, with every major chain now offering at least a few
healthy menu items. In addition, most grocery chains offer fresh
salad bars where you can create your own healthy lunch even if
you're pressed for time.

When creating your five a day healthy lifestyle, remember that
fruits and vegetables make great snacks. An apple, orange or
banana provides both great taste and excellent nutrition. In
addition, the natural sugars contained in fruits do not provide
the sugar high/sugar crash scenario all parents are familiar
with.

Topping meals and salads with additional fruits and vegetables
is a great way to enhance your new five a day lifestyle. Strips
of green and red peppers, broccoli florets, sliced carrots and
cucumbers are all great additions to pasta and potato salads.
And of course carrots, spinach, apple slices, orange slices,
nectarines, pineapples and raisins are all great additions to
any salad.

In addition, adding fresh fruits to foods you already eat is a
great way to make such foods part of your new lifestyle. Adding
berries, bananas or oranges to cereal and yogurt is a great way
to make sure you meet your five a day goal every day.

About the author:
Tony Robinson is a webmster, international author and fitness
guru. Come check out his website at
http://www.1stbetterhealth.com