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Fruits & Veggies - More Matters!™

Nutrition::Food Matters::Fruits & Veggies - More Matters!™

Get Five

Not sure how to increase your fruit and vegetable intake? Start the day with 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice. Slice bananas or strawberries on top of your cereal. Have a salad with lunch, and carrot sticks for an afternoon snack. Include a vegetable with dinner and you already have about five Cups of fruits and vegetables. If you need more than five cups per day, try adding a piece of fruit for a snack or an extra vegetable (like carrots or green beans) at dinner.

When you keep fruits and vegetables visible and easily accessible you tend to eat them more; for instance, store cut and cleaned produce at eye-level in the refrigerator, or keep a big bowl of fruit on the table.

In 1991, a partnership was formed between the National Cancer Institute and the Produce for Better Health Foundation.  This partnership was called the 5 A Day For Better Health Program.  The 5 A Day program was the first national partnership of government and industry to work towards improving the health of Americans. 

Eating appleIn March 2007, the 5 A Day Program became the National Fruit and Vegetable Program, and a new public health initiative was launched: Fruits & Veggies—More Matters™.  This new program reflects current dietary guidelines, which recommend more than 5 servings of fruits and vegetables for many Americans. 

The National Fruit and Vegetable Program is a national partnership to increase consumption of fruits and vegetables by all Americans.  The program seeks to do this by:

  1. Increasing public awareness of the importance of eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables every day for better health,
  2. Providing consumers with specific information about how to include more fruits and vegetables in their daily routines, and
  3. Increasing the availability of fruits and vegetables at home, school, work, and other places where food is served.

National partners now include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Produce for Better Health Foundation, with Fruit and Vegetable Nutrition Coordinators in each state.

Putting tomatos in saladTennessee is currently a licensed partner of the National Fruit and Vegetable Program and the Fruits & Veggies—More Matters™ initiative.  The Tennessee Fruit and Vegetable Nutrition Program is coordinated through the Tennessee Department of Health. To learn more about the Tennessee Fruit and Vegetable Nutrition Program, contact the Tennessee Fruit and Vegetable Nutrition Coordinator at (615) 741-7218.

 

 

GetFit Tips were taken from www.eatright.org, by the American Dietetic Association and www.CDC.gov by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.