Why Do You Need Two (or more) Servings of Fruit a Day?

Hey guys!  

So, how many servings of fruit do you get in a day?  Two?  One? NONE?!

Today, I wanted to talk to you all about some of the important benefits eating two servings of fruit a day can have on your body!

What Is a Serving of Fruit?

One serving of fruit is typically 1 cup or one whole fruit.  Exceptions of this would be larger fruits, like melons, and bananas.  A medium banana usually counts as two servings of fruit, especially when you're working with Beachbody's fitness programs like 21 Day Fix and Insanity Max:30.

What Can Two Servings of Fruit a Day Do?

Getting just two servings of fruit a day, especially with one serving in the morning, can:

• control cravings, especially for sweets, by eating a serving every four hours
• help weight management and weight loss
• help prevent heart disease, cancer, and cateracts because of the vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients that are only found in fruit!

How Can You Get Your Two Servings a Day?

The easiest way is to pick fruit that is self contained with a thicker skin so they don't get bruised as easily, like oranges and bananas, that you can toss in your bag and have as a snack on the go!   Other great fruit to take with you on the go are kiwi, plums, apples, and (red)grapes! 

You can also make sure you're eating a cup of fruit with your breakfast and then having another cup for lunch.

If you're on a budget and can't afford fresh fruit, frozen or canned works great too!  Frozen fruit can be used to make smoothies or you can toss some in a container of yogurt for later. With canned fruit just make sure the label says it's canned in it's own juice (best) or in light syrup (ok) AND it doesn't have any artificial colors or sugar listen on the ingredient list. 

Eat The Rainbow

To get the greatest variety of phytonutrients and vitamins, make sure you get a variety of fruits in your diet throughout the week.  You don't have to eat the same fruit every single day, in fact having that variety will prevent you from getting bored!

Quick Tip!

Keep your berries fresher longer by rinsing them with a vinegar water solution!  Just mix 1 cup of vinegar with 3 cups of water and run it over your fruit.  Let your fruit air dry, do not rinse the vinegar water off!  You'll find that it takes longer for the berries to soften and for mold to develop!

References:
Zonya Foco, RD, CSP
USDA My Plate, www.myplate.gov