Eat your Fruits and Veggies

Ladies, I know you're away from home now and on your own (sort of), but mom did have some good advice.  Here's some advice mom may have provided you that you would be wise to follow; don't run with scissors in your hand, say please and thank you, and treat others the way you want to be treated.  Another good piece of advice is eat your fruits and veggies. 

I have talked to some fighting squirrels in my weight training class who can not remember the last time they ate a fruit or a vegetable. Fruits and vegetables are an important part of well balanced diet.  The new food pyramid recommends 2.5 cups of veggies and 2 cups pf fruit per day.  Now, I know most of  you don't carry a measuring cup with you on a regular basis.  So how do determine one cup?  According to www.mealsmatteer.org, a women's fist size is equal to a serving of fruit or vegetable.  See, you have it easy, look at your fist, look at the piece of fruit, if they are about the same size you have 1 serving.  Now open your fist, and make a cup out of your hand, if you fill your hand with blueberries that is about 1/2 of a cup.

Training and Conditioning Magazine May/June 2011 has some suggestions for choosing your fruits and vegetables.  For fruits, get fresh, frozen or canned berries, melons, bananas, apples and grapes.  Dried fruits are also an option, but beware of the calories in dried fruit.  Also, drink 100% fruit juices.  Check the label to be sure it is pure fruit juice and not loaded with high fructose corn syrup. Fruits provide potassium, magnesium, fiber, vitamins A and C and other vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.  Whole fruits also provide fiber and, if you are looking to lose weight, are low in fat and calories.

For vegetables, fresh, steamed, frozen, grilled or canned spinach, carrots, green beans, tomatoes, and corn are good choices.  You will get potassium, fiber, vitamins A and C along with other vitamins and minerals.  Spinach also provides iron which is an important mineral for women.

Fruits and vegetables are also great snack foods.  Pass up the Snickers bar, bring that to my office, and have some grapes.  To add a little protein to your snack, add a tsp of peanut butter to your celery sticks or apple slices.  You don't have to smack yourself in the head, but remember, "You could'a had a V-8."  How hard is it to throw an apple into your backpack.  With a little organization you can cut up some carrots the night before class and have a nice crunchy snack in a plastic bag.  Eat them between classes, the noise may satisfy your need for a crunchy snack, but your prof may get a bit annoyed. 

Salads are also a great way to get your veggies.  Make your salad as colorful as you can add bright green, orange and red vegetables.  Instead of croutons, add some sunflower seeds for a little crunch and lay off the salad dressing.  You may be surprised how good vegetables taste without being drowned in dressing.  If you must add dressing use a small amount or use a light dressing.  Many of you eat salads but add bacon, croutons, and drench it in dressing.  You have destroyed your healthy meal by adding tons of fat.

Eat smart.  I can hear mom now,  "Eat your fruits and veggies."  March on squirrels!