Anyway, ChooseMyPlate.gov discusses the need to make half your plate fruits and veggies, but who actually does that? I know many of the kids I see in my office do not, but they get plenty of juice... that's a whole other can o'worms. Its important to try to get at least 2-3 servings a day of fruit and vegetables (actual fruit/vegetables, not so much juice), as they have multiple benefits: Antioxidants, Vitamin C, soluble and insoluble fiber, potassium, along with many, MANY, others. *Disclaimer: if you're a "juicer", as in making your own at home using a machine that will use the produce in its entirety, that will have all of the components mentioned vs. drinking 8 oz of Juicy-Juice, which has more sugar than an 8 oz glass of chocolate milk!
Choosing produce to have on hand is something to be smart about. Produce that is in season, for instance, will be cheaper than those that are not. Buying organic is a great idea, as you avoid GMO's (Genetically Modified Organisms), pesticides and other chemicals. If organic is too expensive for your budget, you need to take a few extra steps for the safety and cleanliness of your diet. Regardless of whether or not you choose organic, you ALWAYS need to wash your produce, as soil can have bacteria and other contaminants. Nonorganic produce may have chemical residues left behind from the pesticides used to protect insects from eating them before you get to them. Health Perch had a great diagram of this hazard (see below), explaining why residues left behind are hazardous, how to clean them off properly, and which foods have a higher risk of these residues. What was #1? Apples.
Moral of the story: Eat more fruits and veggies...the RIGHT way
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