Tips For Eating More Fruits And Vegetables

Whether or not COVID-19 has impacted your household grocery budget, you should know there are cost-friendly ways to increase your daily consumption of fruits and vegetables.

According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, choosing frozen over fresh might be recommended.

“I love frozen and think there is a fallacy in many minds that the frozen option is not as good,” the report said. “The data, in fact, shows that frozen options can be more nutrient-dense since they are frozen at peak ripeness which retains all the nutrients.”

“Fresh, on the other hand, loses nutrients every day off the vine, tree, etc., as it travels to the point of purchase. For example, a person on the East Coast eating a fresh blueberry may be eating one that took a week just to get to their store from South America or warmer regions of the United States,” the report added.

Frozen options also last longer and do not run the risk of spoiling before you get a chance to eat them.

The report also added canned and dried versions of fruits and vegetables to the list.

“These are good alternatives that are often more cost effective and accessible,” the report said. “Just look for single-ingredient items whenever possible (i.e., the ingredient list is only the fruit or veggie, not with added sugar or sodium).”

“Check the labels on frozen, canned, and dried versions to see which is the best fit for your diet and lifestyle,” the report added. “Another way to be cost conscious with fruits and veggies is planning to use what you have and eliminate waste. Proper storage and a plan for how you will use your produce are key.”

The report offers these other tips:

• Have some go-to back up plans for when you realize the fruit or vegetables must be used immediately.
• Freeze vegetables to make broth at a future date.
• Use overripe fruits in baked goods.
• Peel and freeze overripe fruits for use in smoothies.
• Finally, keeping things in perspective is also important.

“Fresh produce is not expensive in comparison to the dietary choices made by most people,” the report suggests.