- Eating more fruits and vegetables as part of a healthy diet may help you reduce your risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and some forms of cancer.
- The fiber in fruits and vegetables may help to lower blood cholesterol levels.
- Eating more fruits and vegetables may help reduce your chance of Type 2 diabetes.
- Generally, fruits and vegetables are lower in calories than many other foods, so choosing to eat more fruits and vegetables can help to lower your overall calorie intake.
- Foods that are rich in potassium like oranges and bananas may help you maintain a healthy blood pressure.
- Almost all fruits and many vegetables are low in fat and sodium. Also, fruits and vegetables are naturally cholesterol free.
- Eating whole fruits and vegetables adds fiber to your diet. Fiber fills you up. This feeling of fullness may help you maintain your weight.
- If you are a woman of childbearing age or in your first trimester of pregnancy, you need folate (folic acid), a nutrient that is found in fruits and vegetables. Folate reduces the risk of birth defects during your baby’s development.
- Fruits and vegetables contain phytochemicals (plant compounds) that may help prevent or delay disease and help you maintain good health.
- And finally, here’s a great reason to eat more fruits and vegetables – the variety of colors, flavors, and textures that fruits and vegetables bring to meals and snacks.
