Hey, wait a sec, I thought it was 5-10 per day?! It was. But new research looking at worldwide data involving over 2 million people is now indicating that 10 servings per day is more supportive of good health & disease prevention.
10 servings – is associated with these incredible health improvements:
- A 24% reduced risk of heart disease
- A 33% reduced risk of stroke
- A 28% reduced risk of cardiovascular disease
- A 13% reduced risk of total cancer
- A 31% reduction in premature death
The study also estimated that approximately 7.8 million premature deaths worldwide could be potentially prevented every year if people ate 10 servings fruit and vegetables every day. Want to geek out on the research? Click here for the findings.
Note: the guidelines in Canada have not changed, but this research is pretty compelling, so do with it what you will! Want more info about fruits & veggies? Check out this resource from Healthy Families BC.
So what does 10 servings look like?!
Veggie servings:
- 1/2C of most veggies (carrots, brocolli, corn, cucumber, etc.)
- 1C of leafy veggies (romaine, spinach, kale, etc.)
Fruit servings:
- One medium sized fruits (banana, apple, orange, pear), two of smaller fruits (apricots, plums, figs)
- 1/2C of Fruit salad
This sounds like a lot, what could that look like in a day?
If you eat 3 meals & 2 snacks it’s easy to see how quickly it could add up! Aim to have a minimum of 1 fruit or veggie with each snack and at least 2-3 for each meal to make it happen. Depending on how much you snack or just focus on bigger meals will depend on where you sneak them in!
- Breakfast (2-3): include 1/2C of frozen fruit & 1C spinach in your smoothie, saute some veggies to include in your scrambled eggs, 1C fresh berries on oats or other cereal
- Snacks (1-2): 1C cut veggies with hummus, 1 apple or other medium sized fruit
- Lunch (2-3): big salad with some lean protein, cut veggies and a fruit with a sandwich or last nights leftovers (whatever veggie rich awesomeness that might be)!
- Snack (1-2): yogurt & fresh berries, veggies & dip, brown rice cake with PB & fresh berries or apple slices
- Dinner (2-3): Zuchini Fettucine Salad, Grilled Chicken Salad, 3-Bean Salad… Search the blog for more!
Have fun with this one. Try it on. Can you challenge yourself to eat a fruit or veggie with EVERY meal or snack! That’s a great place to start!