Friuts And Veggies

Here is a question I recently received from FOODPICKER.org

I have pre-diabetes and am trying to lose weight. How many servings of fruit and veggies should I have each day?

Losing weight is a great strategy to prolong diabetes and also for overall health. Excellent start!

It is recommended that people eat 5 servings for fruit and vegetables daily. To clarify, that is 5 servings total of combination of fruits and vegetables (not 5 of each). Sadly, most Americans do not eat the recommended amounts, so trying to increase fruit and vegetable consumption is an effective and tasty way to help with weight loss.

For diabetes purposes, it is important to try and focus on non-starchy vegetables versus starchy vegetables (potatoes, corn, and peas).

Also, remember to eat the rainbow. Fruits and vegetables come in a variety of different colors- the reasoning for that is they all contain different nutrients. For example, tomatoes contain lycopene, which gives it its reddish tint is is also linked to prevent certain types of cancer. The orange tint from sweet potatoes and carrots is beta-caroetene, which helps with eyesight.

Check back soon!