HAVE A PLANT™

Have a plant. That’s it. No numbers, no specific foods. Just have a plant. This simple message is the new campaign by the Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH). Moving past prescriptive messages about how many servings per day, Have a Plant™ focuses on how eating fruits and vegetables can help us feel happier and healthier.

WHY FRUITS AND VEGETABLES?
Eating more fruits and vegetables is thought to improve physical health, but there may be another reason to put some plants on your plate. Recent research suggests that eating more fruits and vegetables might make us happier and more satisfied with life. The DASH diet, which is full of fruits and vegetables, has also been linked to both physical and mental health benefits. With short- and long-term benefits and almost no downside, eating more fruits and vegetables is something we can all focus on.

WHY A NEW MOVEMENT?
Despite years of encouragement, only 1 in 10 of us are getting the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables every day. PBH looked at both behavioral science and consumer research and determined a new approach was needed. It turns out we may be more motivated by the immediate feelings we get from eating well, than the longer-term health benefits. So now, instead of “5-a-day” or “more matters”, we have Have A Plant™ – Food Rooted in a Better Mood.

JOIN THE MOVEMENT
Have A Plant™ is a call to action and PBH wants us all to join in. The fruitsandveggies.org website has a new look and is full of recipes, tips, seasonal guides and more. A carefully selected team of experts answer questions and offer advice both on the site and through social media. To follow along or join in the conversation, follow #haveaplant.

Reference:

1. Have A Plant™. Produce for Better Health Foundation. Available at fruitsandveggies.org.

Written by Jennifer M. Roberts, MS, RD
AUGUST 2019
balanceittakesyou.com

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BUILD A BETTER BREAKFAST

You have probably heard the saying that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. While it may not necessarily be more important than lunch or dinner, it is a meal that many of us tend to skip for a variety of reasons. A recent study suggests that skipping breakfast may do more harm than we previously thought. Skipping breakfast tends to leave us low on energy and extra hungry at lunch, but it may also increase our risk of dying from heart disease. Here are some tips to start your day off right with breakfast:

GET SOME GRAINS
Breakfast is a perfect time to get in some whole grains. There are so many delicious options – oatmeal, whole grain muffins, and even whole grain pancakes – to choose from. Be cautious with portion size though. While whole grains are good, breakfast grains in general can get a little out of hand with their portion size. If it doesn’t fit in your hand, it might be a little too big.

FRUIT AND VEGGIES
Fruit gets a lot of attention at breakfast and it is a great choice, but don’t forget the veggies. Most of us could use more vegetables each day, so starting out with some at breakfast gets you on the right track. Vegetables add color, flavor and nutrients to omelets, scrambles and frittatas. Vegetables not typically eaten at breakfast are finding their way on to menus in the form of vegetable hash, smoothies and even breakfast salads and are all worth trying.

DRINK WISELY
Coffee and tea are two of the most popular breakfast drinks, but they vary widely in how well they help us start our day. Be cautious of add ins that are high in sugar and calories that add up quickly and are easy to overdo in a drink. Breakfast is also a good time to start hydrating. With little to no water intake overnight, your body will thank you for adding a glass of water to your morning routine.

Reference:1. Shuang Rong, Linda G. Snetselaar, Guifeng Xu, Yangbo Sun, Buyun Liu, Robert B. Wallace, Wei Bao. Association of Skipping Breakfast With Cardiovascular and All-Cause Mortality. Journal of the American College of Cardiology Apr 2019, 73 (16) 2025-2032

Written by Jennifer M. Roberts, MS, RD
JULY 2019
balanceittakesyou.com

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Local Produce

Summer is the perfect time to enjoy local produce because of the sheer variety of fruits and vegetables that are available. I’ve waited all winter for ripe berries, juicy tomatoes and sweet stone fruit. We get a few months of this bounty and when the season is over, we wait patiently for summer to come again so we can enjoy our favorites. Connecting and eating with the seasons can be rewarding but also a tough challenge as many of us now rely on grocery stores to provide year-round produce.

FUN FACT
Did you know that the average food item has traveled 1,500 miles to get to your plate? Seeking out local food, understanding how it was grown and learning more about the people who grew it can be an empowering experience. Not everyone has the opportunity to shake hands with the person that grew their food but for those that do, it carries more weight than a certification.

WAIT, THERE’S MORE
Did you also know that how we eat can have as big an impact on climate change as transportation and energy? When produce is shipped, flown or trucked long distances, it must be harvested before it ripens so as to survive the journey. Many producers started developing and growing varieties that held up to transportation and overlooked flavor and nutrition as desirable qualities in their produce. As a result, it is often less nutritious and less tasty, uses a lot of fuel and causes pollution. In addition to being hard on the environment, American farms, owned and operated by family members as a primary income, are disappearing.

BOTTOM LINE
There is huge value in supporting our local farmers. It’s important for our food security, our health, and future generations that we support the local agriculture and preserve flavor. Our annual Eat Local promotion kicks off this month and celebrates local produce and the mid-sized American family farm.

Look for ways to support local farmers in your area by visiting farmers markets, participating in Community Support Agriculture (CSAs) or supporting local co-ops. Localharvest.org is a great resource to find farmer’s markets and CSAs in your area.

Reference: https://bit.ly/2tik0CQ

Written by Julia Jordan and Jennifer M. Roberts, MS, RD.
AUGUST 2018
balanceittakesyou.com

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Produce First!

Choosing vegetables and fruits at each meal, will help add color and texture to your plate! If you include all different fruits and vegetables as a part of a healthy eating plan you will end up taking in lots of important nutrients (potassium, fiber, folic acid, and vitamins A, E, and C). Keep in mind the more colorful, the more nutrients!

Pick your vegetables and fruits first
Then add on your protein (beans, chicken, beef, etc.) and grains/starch (whole wheat pasta, brown rice, whole grain breads, etc.).

Make half of your plate vegetables
Lots of the produce offered in the Northeastern dining halls is from local farmers, which is really great! Be sure to check out the apple sauce in the dining halls made by a local company with just whole apples (no additives or preservatives). Fruits and vegetables are also:

• A great source of fiber that helps fill you up and keeps your digestive 
system regular.
• Naturally a low calorie/low fat food.
• A great on-the-go snack. Eating lots of fruits and vegetables may also help reduce the risk of many diseases, including heart disease, high blood pressure, and digestive problems.

Resources:

1. Top 10 Reasons to Eat more Fruits and Vegetables. http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/ Accessed on November 20, 2016
2. The Nutrition Source: Vegetable and Fruits. http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/vegetables-and-fruits/ Accessed on November 20, 2016

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