Your mother always made you eat your fruits and vegetables before dessert -- and for good reason. Fruits and vegetables contain nutrients, essential vitamins and are high in fiber to help prevent the development of chronic disease. Specifically, those who eat enough fruits and vegetables each day have a reduced risk of stroke, heart disease and certain cancers. Therefore, eat your recommended amount per day to maintain optimal health.
Nutritional Information
Eating a variety of different fruits and vegetables will ensure you receive a variety of nutrients that will benefit your health. The Center for Disease Control, or CDC, states that a good source of a particular nutrient contains 10 to 19 percent of the recommended daily value of a particular nutrient, and an excellent source contains greater than 20 percent of the recommended daily value. Including different fruits and vegetables, such as beans, greens, oranges, strawberries, broccoli and sweet potatoes, in your diet provides fiber, folate, vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium.
Serving Size
Understanding how much of a particular fruit or vegetable is contained in one serving is important to ensure you eat enough fruits and vegetables per day. The CDC states that 1 cup of a fruit or vegetable is considered a serving. Specifically, 1 cup of fruit, 1 cup of 100 percent fruit juice, or 1/2 cup of dried fruit is considered a one cup serving size from the fruit group. For salads, 1 cup of lettuce and 1/2 cup of vegetables is a 1-cup serving.
Recommendations for Women
Because the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables you need daily varies with age and gender, you should determine how many fruits and vegetables you need particular to you. For example, a 30-year-old woman who exercises between 30 and 60 minutes per day, needs 2 cups of fruits and 2 1/2 cups of vegetables to meet her daily needs. Women who exercise more need more nutrients and calories from fruits and vegetables than those who exercise less.
Recommendations for Men
In general, men need more nutrients and calories from fruits and vegetables than women. For example, a 30-year-old man who exercises between 30 and 60 minutes per day, needs 2 cups of vegetables and 3 1/2 cups of vegetables for optimum health. According to the CDC, older men need fewer calories than younger men. A 60-year-old man still should eat 2 cups of fruit, but only needs 3 cups of vegetables daily.
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