Tutti Fruity Tuesday Newsletter

7
Habits
of Health
Goal:
Tutti Fruity Tuesday
Eat a serving of fruit
Get Your Fill of Fruit
with every meal.
Fruit provides your body with
vitamins, minerals and fiber
without adding many calories.
In addition, antioxidants in fruit
boost brainpower, fight cancer,
reduce your risk of chronic
diseases and strengthen your
immune system.
Fruits provide nutrients vital
for a healthy, balanced lifestyle.
Fruits are lower in calories per
cup than many other foods,
which is useful if you’re trying
to lower your daily calorie
intake. Fiber-containing foods
like fruits help provide a feeling
of fullness with fewer calories
than many other snacks.
Source: Choosemyplate.gov,
fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov,
everydayhealth.com
Any fruit (fresh, canned, frozen
or dried; whole, cut-up or
pureed) or 100 percent fruit
juice counts as a serving of
fruit according to the USDA’s
recommended daily allowance.
Keep in mind, whole or cutup fruits are good sources
of dietary fiber whereas fruit
juices contain little or no fiber.
2. Bananas have a natural
antacid effect in the body, so
if you suffer from heartburn,
try eating a banana for relief
3. A banana ripens quickly
(overnight) if you put it into
a brown paper bag with an
apple or tomato
4. Vegetables with a dark
green color contain more
vitamin C than light green
vegetables
5. An apple tree can produce
up to 400 apples a year
6. Kiwi contains twice as much
vitamin C as an orange
7. Oranges contain
antioxidants that help
prevent skin damage
Health Benefits
Eating a diet rich in fruits
(and vegetables) as part of an
overall healthy diet may reduce
your risk of:
• Heart disease (including
heart attack and stroke)
• Obesity
• Type 2 diabetes
Fun Fruit Facts:
• Certain cancers
1. Tomatoes, avocados and
pumpkins are a fruit not a
vegetable. Tomatoes are the
most popular fruits in the
world
• High blood pressure
• Kidney stones
• Weight gain
A healthier you starts here
7
Habits
of Health
Fruit is Super Nutritious
Eat a Rainbow
• Fruit is naturally low in fat,
sodium and calories
Eating fruits and vegetables
of different colors gives your
body a wide range of valuable
nutrients like fiber, folate,
potassium and vitamins A and
C. There are so many great
choices; green apples, apricots,
oranges, cherries, purple
plums, watermelon, grapefruit,
kiwi, mangos, peaches and
pears! For variety, eat a
different fruit every day.
• Fruit has no cholesterol
• Fruit contains many essential
nutrients like

Potassium – helps
maintain healthy blood
pressure

Dietary fiber – reduces
blood cholesterol and
lowers risk of heart
disease

Vitamin C – important for
growth and repair of body
tissue

Folate (folic acid) – helps
the body form red blood
cells
Set Goals
Challenge yourself to eat more
fruit, but start with small goals
you can easily achieve and
then set larger goals as you go.
For example, you might want
to start by eating one extra
serving of fruit or vegetables
a day. When you achieve that
goal, your next goal could be
to include an extra serving of
fruit or vegetables at most
meals.
Tips on how to add fruit to
your diet:
• Add berries to your
breakfast cereal or oatmeal
• Eat a piece of fruit as a mid
morning snack
• Add a banana and peanut
butter to your whole grain
toast
• Make a fruit smoothie
• Keep a bowl of fruit in the
fridge so you have healthy
snacks available
• Eat baked apples or pears
topped with cinnamon and
honey for a delicious treat
• Dip apple or pear slices in
Greek yogurt
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©2012 Blue Cross of Idaho is an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association