I recently read a shocking statistic. According to the CDC, only 9% of American adults are eating the recommended amount of vegetables and only 12% are eating the recommended amount of fruit. Seemingly unrelated, there are a reported 21 million adults in the US who have suffered a major depressive episode. What do these two stats have in common? Well, it turns out that eating more fruits and veggies everyday can actually make you happier. If you have a suspicion that you may not be getting your adequate intake, then this blog post is for you.
First, how much is enough?
The recommendations vary slightly based on gender and age, but generally, we should be aiming for 1.5 to 2 cups of fruit and 2.5 to 3 cups of vegetables daily.
health benefits of eating the rainbow
We’ve likely all heard that eating the rainbow is good for us, but why exactly? Let me break it down for you and share why we should all be prioritizing a colorful plate, including research that may surprise you.
Phytochemicals
Fruits and vegetables contain plant chemicals, known as phytochemicals, which protect against heart disease, cancer, and other diseases. They are non-essential nutrients, meaning we don’t need them to keep us alive, but they may prolong life because of their health promoting properties. Phytochemicals have a broad range of protective benefits such as reducing inflammation, speeding healing, preventing infection, protecting your arteries, and curbing cancer.
Phytochemicals are also known for giving foods their color, taste, and smell. The more brightly colored the food, the more phytochemicals a food contains, perhaps making the food that much more beneficial. However, less colorful fruits and vegetables, like turnips and cauliflower, are also rich in phytochemicals. Your best bet is to eat a wide variety to really get all the potential benefits from the phytochemicals.
Happiness + life Satisfaction
One of the lesser known benefits to eating colorful phytonutrient rich fruits and veggies is related to our emotional well being.
A study that monitored 12,385 Australian adults for over two years found that increasing fruit and vegetable intake (for up to eight portions daily) was positively associated with happiness, life satisfaction, and well-being, to the extent that the improvements were equal in measure to the psychological impact of transitioning from unemployment to employment.
Can you believe that something as simple as increasing our intake of fruits and veggies can have such a profound impact on our happiness and emotional health? I think if more people knew this, it could potentially be easier to motivate ourselves to up our intake. And wait, there’s more…
Curiosity + Creativity
This next tidbit is one of my favorite findings when it comes to eating the rainbow. Research has shown that eating more fruits and veggies also has an impact on our levels of curiosity, happiness, and creativity. In a study of 405 young adults, researchers at the University of Otago in New Zealand found that those who ate more fruits and vegetables over thirteen consecutive days reported greater flourishing in daily life as assessed by higher levels of well-being, intense feelings of curiosity, and creativity, compared with young adults who ate less fruits and vegetables. On days when young adults ate more fruits and vegetables, there was a corresponding increase in the defined markers of flourishing compared with days when they ate less fruits and vegetables.
With everything we’ve collectively experienced in the last few years, there have been numerous reports about increased rates of depression and a whole host of other mental health issues. Now I’m not saying that an extra apple a day will necessarily heal depression or completely change your life, but I do see a correlation to how the food we eat impacts our mental health. So if research is showing that fruits and veggies can make you happier, or if you’re in a creative rut, perhaps it’s worth experimenting with adding more phytonutrients to your plate to see how it affects you.
tips for adding more color to your plate
Try something new
The next time you’re at the market, pick up a fruit or vegetable you’ve never tried before. You may surprise yourself with liking something new and as an added benefit, adding plant diversity to your diet is excellent for your gut microbiome. I recently found jicama wraps at Trader Joe’s and am hooked, especially on hot summer days.
Make a veggie packed fruit smoothie
Smoothies are probably the easiest way to get an extra serving or two of fruit or vegetables into your day because you can easily add them to your favorite recipe and most likely, it’ll still taste good. For example, one of my favorites ways to make my smoothies creamier is to add frozen zucchini or cauliflower. The taste is barely noticeable, but it adds extra fiber, nutrients, and gives your smoothie a nice consistency.
Go for frozen
If you want to be mindful about costs, check the freezer section at your supermarket for budget friendly organic options. Personally, I love buying frozen tropical fruit such as pineapple and mango because I can add it to my smoothies year round. Frozen organic berries are also a great option because they’re part of the EWG’s Dirty Dozen and unfortunately buying fresh and organic can be costly.
make a veggie rich Crudités platter
Crudités platters are not only great for entertaining, but can also be a great idea for lunch or dinner, paired with a few dips and spreads. Some days, especially in the summer when it feels too hot to cook, I like to make myself a large board with sliced radishes, cucumbers, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and sweet peppers and pair it with cheese and an assortment of dips. Hummus, guacamole, and tzatziki are my usual go-to’s. If you’re buying a pre-made dip from a store, just make sure to look at the ingredient list to make sure it doesn’t have any refined seed oils or too many additives.
look for color opportunities at every meal
It can be really easy to get into a rhythm with our food, whether it’s ordering the same thing for lunch regularly, or using your favorite recipe at dinnertime a few times a week. However, if you’re feeling up for it, I encourage you to take a look at all of your meals for the next few days and ask yourself, how can I add more color to this meal? Maybe it’s adding spinach and onions to your scrambled eggs in the morning, or cucumbers and tomatoes to your sandwich at lunch. Sometimes, it really can be as simple as asking yourself what little things you can do to optimize your nutrition. These small incremental changes eventually add up.
If you find this kind of information helpful, let me know in the comments! I’d also love to hear how you enjoy your fruits and veggies. Share your own tips with us below.
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