You probably already know that a health diet includes a variety of fruits and vegetables. A good source of vitamins and minerals, many fruits and vegetables are lower in calories and higher in fiber than other foods. As part of a health diet,* eating fruits and vegetables instead of high-fat or high-calorie foods may make it easier to control your weight.
Too busy? see how you can save time save money, or both as you strive to eat more fruits and vegetables as part of a health diet.
- Pick fruits or veggies that require little peeling or chopping, such as baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, or grapes
- Choose ready-packed salad greens from the produce shelf for a quick salad any time.
- Visit the salad bar for pre-cut veggies to top salads, sandwiches, or pasta.
- Take advantage of in-store promotions and purchase fresh fruits and vegetables in season, when they ar egenerally less expensive.
- Plan meals ahead and create a shopping list to help minimize impulse purchases
- Keep it simple. Choose quick and easy recipes with few ingredients that use in-season, canned, frozen, or dried fruits and vegetables.
Least expensive way to eat fruits and veggies:
- FRESH: apples, peaches, pears, plums, blueberries, strawberries, cherries, cabbage, potatoes, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, kale, sweet potatoes, spinach, squash/zucchini, mangoes, papayas, bananas
- FROZEN: raspberries, collard greens, turnip greens, okra
- CANNED: green beans, tomatoes, sweet corn, green peas, asparagus
- DRIED: grapes (raisins), apricots
- JUICE: grapefruit (frozen), orange (frozen), pineapple, prune (plums), tomato
Source: How Much Do Americans Pay for Fruits and Vegetables? AIB-790. Economic Reearch Service/USDA
Visit www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov for more info and great recipes.
