February 12, 2025 • 24 mins
This episode emphasizes the importance of incorporating more fruits and vegetables into daily meals for optimal health and nutrition. We explore their benefits, how to choose quality produce, and practical tips for adding more of these foods into your diet.
• Discussing the key health benefits of fruits and veggies
• Understanding the role of fiber and antioxidants in health
• Tips for selecting fresh and high-quality produce
• The significance of eating seasonally and checking for freshness
• The value of frozen fruits and vegetables as nutritious alternatives
• Practical ideas for integrating more produce into meals and snacks
• Encouraging experimentation and creativity with different fruits and vegetables
• Highlighting the importance of balance and consistency in dietary habits
Remember that if you enjoy this podcast or this episode, don't forget to subscribe and leave a review, and if you're looking for your personalized nutrition guidance, check out my programs. You know again, text me, or if you want to leave any feedback, let me know as well.
Thank you for listening. Please subscribe to this podcast and share with a friend. If you would like to know more about my services, please message at fueledbyleo@gmail.com
My YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0SqBP44jMNYSzlcJjOKJdg
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hey, hey, welcome back to another podcast, or
another episode.
In the Simple NutritionInsights podcast.
I am your host, leonila Campos,registered dietitian, and today
we're diving into the colorfulworld of fruits and vegetables.
So I wanted to spend the nextlet's see the next four episodes
(00:22):
talking specifically about eachindividual food group, the
benefits and some practical tips, and maybe some recipes to help
you incorporate these foodgroups in a strategic way, in a
way that makes sense for you, sothat way you can have these
balanced meals.
So I wanted to start with ourfruits and vegetables.
(00:44):
Here's why.
So fruits and vegetables arenutrient powerhouses and they
are key to wellness, key forgood health, but yet many people
struggle to eat enough of them.
So in this episode, I'll breakdown the health benefits of
fruits and veggies, share tipson how to choose the best ones
(01:05):
at the grocery store and giveyou practical ways to add more
to your meals without feeling sooverwhelmed.
So let's get started.
Fruits and vegetables are packedwith essential nutrients like
fiber, antioxidants and water,and making them crucial for
overall health.
Here are some of the topbenefits.
(01:26):
So fruits and veggies are richin nutrients.
They provide vitamins like C, aand K, plus minerals like
potassium and magnesium, whichsupport immune function, bone
health and muscle function.
They are high in fiber andfiber helps with digestion,
keeps us full longer, sosatiated for a longer period of
(01:47):
time, and supports heart healthby lowering cholesterol, as well
as it helps with blood sugarmanagement.
I think I'm going to do apodcast episode just on fiber,
because fiber plays such a hugerole in so many functions in our
health and the majority of thepopulation only gets maybe about
10 grams of fiber and we needat least 30 grams of fiber a day
(02:11):
, so I'll do an episode just onthat.
But our fruits and vegetablesare packed and are high in fiber
.
They also have antioxidants andthey are pretty much antioxidant
powerhouses.
Many fruits and vegetablescontain antioxidants like
flavonoids or carotenoids, whichhelp fight inflammation and
(02:36):
protect against chronic diseaseslike heart disease and cancer.
And there's so manyantioxidants that I could go
over, but I'm not going to dothat today in each function that
they have.
But just remember that fruitsand vegetables, these
antioxidants that they have,they act at a cellular level,
meaning that they're helpingyour cells against oxidation,
(02:58):
against toxins, and theseantioxidants protect your cells
from damage.
You cannot get that with anyother food.
Essentially right, and so it'sso important to remember that
when we want to at a cellularlevel right, when we want to
optimize our health at acellular level, our fruits and
(03:19):
vegetables are a powerhouse todo that.
They also support hydration.
Many of them have high watercontent, which help us stay
hydrated, especially during hotweather or after our workouts,
and so that's another way tostay, you know, to add some
hydration to our meals or to ourday-to-day on top of drinking
(03:41):
enough water throughout the day,which is probably I think I've
done a couple episodes onhydration and some ways to
improve our hydration.
Fruits and vegetables also havean impact in gut health, so a
variety of fruits and veggiesprovide prebiotics, which is the
food right for the probiotics,and the probiotics are the gut
bacteria, the gut microbiome,and so those prebiotics feed the
(04:06):
gut bacteria in our gut andimprove digestion.
So those are just some of thetop benefits.
There's so many other benefits.
When we think about fruits andveggies, they help our eyesight
right.
When you think about carrots,they help our eyesight because
of the vitamin A our eyesightright.
When you think about carrots,they help our eyesight because
(04:28):
of the vitamin A.
And you know, if we think aboutall our oranges, even our reds.
They help with blood flow and,you know, carrying out oxygen
throughout the blood orthroughout the body.
So many other benefits thatfruits and veggies can provide.
How can we choose, you know,the best fruits and vegetables
at the grocery store?
Now, this is not just aninclusive list, right, there's
(04:49):
so many, just like the benefits.
There's so many other benefits.
There's so many other ways tothink about vegetables when we
are grocery shopping, but theseare just a few tips to pick the
best quality.
I live in California, sooftentimes we don't think about
not having a particular fruitand veggie because it's not in
season.
(05:09):
Right, usually we have themyear round, but that's not the
case in other parts of thecountry or in other countries,
and so the best thing to do isto buy these fruits and veggies
that are in season and there'smany resources that we can use
to know what specific fruits andvegetables grow in a specific
season and to look into that,because that can also be
(05:31):
affordable instead of buying Idon't know berries if they're
not in season.
They're probably pricier, right, even if you want to have those
benefits.
So seasonal fruits and veggiestaste better because,
essentially, they're growingright in the season where
they're going to be grown at thebest, are more affordable and
have higher nutrient content.
(05:52):
And so right now that is winter, winter produce includes citrus
fruits, root vegetables,potatoes, sweet potatoes and
many other tubers and leafygreens.
So if you want to add a lot ofextra of those extra vegetables
right into your meals, that'swonderful.
If you live in another part ofthe country or the world and
(06:14):
there are different veggies orfruits growing in season, this
time, choose those right.
Amazing that you still get thebenefits.
Check for freshness.
Look for vibrant colors, firmtextures and a fresh smell.
You know it's interestingbecause I do the smell with uh,
with strawberry.
(06:34):
So I oftentimes, when I gogrocery shopping, I grab the,
the case right, it's a plasticcase and I smell it right.
So I want to smell if the, thestrawberry smells sweet usually
know if they smell sweet when Icome home and I cut them.
They are actually sweet, right,and they taste so delicious.
My youngest son loves all typesof berries, so he gets excited
(06:56):
when the strawberries are niceand sweet.
So that's something that youcan do too, to check for
freshness.
Avoid produce that's bruised,mushy or moldy Usually you know
it's been.
If it's bruised, mushy or moldy, usually you know it's been.
If it's bruised, right, whenyou cut it you'll see the change
of color, right something.
If it's mushy, usually your,your products, your fruits and
veggies should be nice and firm.
(07:17):
If they're mushy, it could be,you know, maybe they fail or
they got squished or whatever.
You know they're going bad orwhatever.
Um, so you don't want them tobe mushy.
At least you know they have.
Um the fresh fruits and veggiesand absolutely no moldy, right,
mold has been growing and youshould not eat moldy fruits and
vegetables.
Um, they can cause somesickness.
(07:38):
Go for variety, right, aim fordifferent colors.
Each color represents differentnutrients.
Think, eat the right.
If that helps you remember toadd a variety Also to get a
variety of antioxidants.
So you know, when you thinkabout your orange fruits and
vegetables or your purple onesor your green ones, they all
(07:58):
have different antioxidants thathave different roles in their
bodies.
And so I often recommend evenmy clients, right, like if we've
been used to eating broccoli,only broccoli, right, for weeks
and weeks, let's add othercolors, right, maybe let's
explore other vegetables ormaybe other fruits, right, if
(08:19):
that's where you want to startto add a variety of antioxidants
and nutrients.
Frozen vegetables are great.
They're also a great option.
Oftentimes I do get thisquestion asked, right, like are
frozen vegetables the same, orlike it's better to have them,
to buy them fresh?
No, frozen vegetables can bealso a great option, especially
(08:42):
again if they're not in seasonor you live in a part of the
country or the world where it'sjust really hard to get fresh
produce.
Frozen ones are great.
Usually, before they get frozen, they're nice and fresh.
They go through that process offreezing them and they contain
the same nutrients, theymaintain the same nutrients.
(09:05):
So frozen are great andobviously they're going to last
longer, right, and so that savesmoney.
So they're perfect forconvenience and they do have a
long shelf life.
I oftentimes recommend these forberries, right?
So I usually have clients thatsay you know, I buy berries and
if we don't eat them within thenext few days they go bad, and
(09:27):
so I suggest buy them frozen,right?
If that is the case and berriesare not very cheap, buy them
frozen and then you can just addthem to your oatmeal, to your
smoothies, to your yogurt,pretty much whenever you want to
add them, and you still getthose benefits.
Note the shelf life, right,some fruits like bananas,
avocados and berries ripenquickly, as I mentioned, while
(09:48):
apples, carrots and potatoeslast much longer.
So, keeping those things inmind, right, especially if the
weather is really hot or humid,these vegetables or fruits tend
to ripen faster, right?
So, for example, you know, Ithink about bananas, right, I
usually leave bananas on thecounter.
(10:10):
Berries, I usually put them inthe fridge.
But even berries, you start tosee that the quality decline in
a matter of a couple of days,within that week.
Right, they're not going tolast long.
But I think about bananas inthe wintertime, and I usually
buy semi-green bananas because Iknow that by the time I'm done
(10:33):
eating them, right by the end ofthe week, they're going to be
nice and yellow.
But during the summer I have tobuy greener bananas because
it's hot and sometimes humid andthat makes the ripening process
even faster.
I usually don't like to put mybananas in the fridge because
when I eat them, I don't likeeating them cold, right, they
(10:56):
make my teeth hurt, so I likethem room temperature.
But that's another way to alsokeep your bananas from not
ripening so fast.
My husband gave me a tip foravocados so he said.
You know I think he read it orsaw it somewhere you know, you
wash your avocados and you putthem in a container with water
(11:18):
and you put that container inthe fridge and they do last
longer.
I was so surprised that, like,for some reason, the ripening
process kind of slows down onebecause they're also in the
fringe.
But if you know, if you hadthem for over a week, changing
that water right might be a goodidea, just to make sure there's
(11:38):
no extra bacteria growing thereor mold.
But you know, we know thatavocados are expensive and they
do ripen really fast.
So that's another way Usingyour crispers right in your
fridge, just making sure thatwhen you put them there in the
(11:58):
crispers instead of on the othersides of the counter or the
fridge, to last longer too aswell, longer too as well.
So that's another way to keepyour fruits and veggies lasting
longer.
So those are just some quicktips that you can keep in mind
(12:20):
when you are grocery shopping.
If you don't know, if you'relike I don't know how to add a
variety of fruits and veggies, Idon't know how to cook them.
There's so many recipes outthere that you can use.
You can try them out.
I have different clients, youknow that come to me and they
say you know, I've never hadspaghetti squash right.
(12:41):
And I'm going to tell you herea really quick story.
When I was working for theUniversity of California
Cooperative Extension, that wasone of the first jobs that I got
when I finished my undergrad innutrition, food science and
nutrition, and so we partneredUCC and other community
organizations were partnered tocome and provide for us to go
(13:04):
and provide nutrition educationand just other resources.
And so one of the communityorganizations that we partnered
with was the food bank, and aswe were learning about them and
learning about the foods thatthey were giving out to the
community, they would say youknow, we have these squash right
that the client's done, thatthe client's done.
(13:27):
So they would keep thesespaghetti squashes right, just
like untouched.
So, and the reason why isbecause people didn't know what
to do with them.
They don't even know what theywere, and so then we decided to
cook them right.
We had a kitchen that we woulduse to prepare things, and so we
(13:50):
cooked the spaghetti squashright, like with some sauce, and
we took some sample.
This is way pre-pre-pre coveredright, and we would let them
know.
Okay, this is a spaghettisquash.
This is how it looks like.
Here's the recipe.
Try it out If you like it.
You know you can cook it athome.
(14:11):
It's really simple and so,after people trying it right and
them liking it, they weretaking them.
So that was a positive thing.
So, if you don't know, you know, if you're curious about a
vegetable or about a fruit, finda recipe that you like or find
a recipe that you feelcomfortable and confident in
(14:32):
making and just try it out,right, you never know if you're
going to really enjoy it.
Okay, so let's talk about somemore practical ways to add more
fruits and veggies.
For example, breakfast, right,you can add so many fruits and
vegetables with breakfast.
Oftentimes we add more fruitsthan vegetables, but either way,
(14:57):
you can add berries or bananasto your oatmeal, blend spinach
into a smoothie, or top youreggs with sauteed veggies.
You can make tofu scramble oran omelet with tons of
vegetables and maybe a side ofberries.
You can have avocado toast,right, with either tofu or egg
(15:18):
and top it with, like, some morevegetables on there.
There's so many ways, right,but these are just a few.
For your snacks, right, you canadd.
You know you can have slicedcucumbers, bell peppers and
carrots, you know, ready to dipinto hummus or yogurt dip, or
you can have apple slices withnut butter or any other great
option.
(15:38):
Here's a quick tip.
When it comes to vegetables andfruits, right.
More so if you know that you'regoing to eat them, or if you
want your family to eat themwithin the next day or two.
Washing them and chopping themahead of time, right.
That saves time, saves that oneextra step Also, because
(16:00):
usually our families are morewilling to eat them if they
don't have to do that extra work.
I do see that with my children,but also with my clients, right
.
Oftentimes they even tell me ifthey're washed and ready to be
eaten.
I eat them, right, becausethey're ready to go.
I don't have to, like wait, youknow, get them out, wash them,
(16:22):
chop them.
You know those are extra steps.
It might not take long, but ourbrain's thinking about okay,
this is extra step.
You know what?
I'm just going to grab a bag ofchips, right?
Or these cookies, becausethey're ready to eat.
I have not, I don't haveanything else to do.
So Think about it that way too.
Right, how can I have thesesnacks ready, or these fruits
(16:44):
and vegetables ready so we caneat them, right, and it's easier
for us to eat them For lunch.
You can add extra greens to yoursandwiches or wraps tomatoes,
bell peppers, avocado, throw inshredded carrots or pack a side
salad, and you can add lots,lots of other things to your
(17:05):
salad.
You know, if you want to makeit somewhat sweet, right, you
can add berries to that.
You can add chopped walnuts orchopped or some kind of nut, and
you can add balsamicvinaigrette, if you like, right
on the side.
Or if you want it more savory,right, you can add aromame and
other beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers.
(17:29):
I mean, you can make so manyvarieties for your salads
instead of just like a sad pileof lettuce, right?
You can combine cauliflowercabbage, right, the different
colors of the cabbage.
You can combine them For dinner.
You can have.
You can roast a big batch ofvegetables for the week, right,
(17:53):
you can just put them in abaking sheet and roast them for
a couple of days during the weekand you don't have to worry
about that extra work.
Um, you can add extra veggiesto your soups and stews or mix
cauliflower rice into yourgrains, right.
So if you're like if you guyslike rice, right, and you're
(18:13):
like I want to have some veggiesto my rice, add the cauliflower
rice into the actual rice.
Sometimes I do that and it'sdelicious, right.
So that's another way to addsome vegetables to that meal.
Desserts you can try frozengrapes.
Those are really delicious,like if you freeze the grapes
and you eat them, especiallyduring the summer they are so
(18:38):
delicious.
You can also blend banana andmake an ice cream, right.
Or you can bake apples, addsome cinnamon for a naturally
sweet treat.
You can add dates, right.
Or prunes right, they're prettysweet naturally too or any
other dry fruit.
So those are some of those ways.
(19:00):
On the go, you can keep an appleor a handful of cherry tomatoes
in your bag for a quick snack,or those quick baby carrots they
have in the visual bags.
You can have that with you,right and have it on the go.
And those are some other waysto also add some extra veggies
or fruits.
So these are just some quick,quick, quick ways that you can
(19:24):
add some more fruits andvegetables to your meals.
Be creative If you like.
You know some vegetables morethan another, that's also okay.
Sometimes I have clients thatcome to me and they're like I
don't like tomatoes or I don'tlike broccoli, and they look at
me like if I'm going to tellthem what you have to eat them,
(19:45):
right?
No, there's so many Like.
If you go to the grocery store,especially if you live in
California, you can see theproduce area right, how big it
is and how many colors you know.
Try them out.
I remember when I moved to NorthCarolina right after what's it?
(20:09):
Yeah, it was right after Igraduated from college and or
maybe it was when I was doing aninternship, I don't remember,
but I remember going into thegrocery store and groceries were
so expensive.
I mean, obviously I'm surethey're more expensive now, but
when I was comparing prices fromCalifornia to North Carolina, I
(20:30):
was like this is insane, thisis really expensive.
I think at that time here inCalifornia lemons were like 10
lemons for a dollar and overthere were like one lemon for a
dollar and I was like, wow, thisis crazy.
So take advantage right.
If you live in California or ifyou live in an area where
(20:52):
produce are, you know, there'san abundance of them.
Enjoy that right, because inother parts of the country or in
other countries they might nothave those options to you.
I remember some clients wouldtell me when they travel right,
I think I don't remember if theywent to Italy or maybe Spain,
(21:15):
and it could be maybe theydidn't know where to find these
foods, but they said that theproduce were really limited.
Right, the availability offruits and vegetables was so
limited that when they came back, all they wanted to eat was
just fruits and vegetables.
One, because we had beenworking right on adding more of
these balanced meals, and sowhen they traveled, it was hard
(21:37):
for them to adjust to now nothaving them.
So when they came back, they'relike all I wanted to eat was
fruits and vegetables because mybody was having them.
So when they came back, they'relike all I wanted to eat was
fruits and vegetables because mybody was craving them.
So add them if you can.
The idea is to add these fruitsand vegetables on a daily basis,
right, fruits and vegetablesprovide most water-soluble
(21:59):
vitamins, and so your body'sgoing to use what it needs, and
then your kidneys are going toget rid of it through the urine,
and so it doesn't mean thatwe're really storing them.
So you have to have them on aconsistent basis to get those
nutrients in.
So keep those things in mind.
Make it super simple Again.
If you're struggling to get avariety now or you're noticing
(22:23):
that you're not adding enough,work them slowly, right.
The idea is to have fruits andvegetables about two fistfuls,
right?
If you make a fist, twofistfuls at each meal either one
fistful of fruits and onefistful of vegetables, whatever
combination you want to do, butyou want to be able to add them
(22:43):
with every single one of yourmeals.
Or, if you're not able to, withyour snacks, right?
The more meals that you skip,the less the opportunity that
you have to get these nutrientsin right.
So I want you to really reallythink about that.
The less meals that you eat,the less opportunity that you
have to make these meals balanceand get the nutrients that your
(23:05):
body needs.
So that is it, my friend.
Eating more fruits andvegetables doesn't have to be
complicated.
Start with small, simple swapsand gradually increase your
intake.
Remember fresh frozen canwithout added sugars or salts,
and even dried options all count.
What's one fruit or vegetableyou'll add to your meals this
(23:28):
week?
Let me know.
You can text me at 559-512-0404or find me in social media, on
Instagram at nutritionunderscore, with underscore
Leonila, and share that with me.
Remember that if you enjoy thispodcast or this episode, don't
forget to subscribe and leave areview, and if you're looking
(23:49):
for your personalized nutritionguidance, check out my programs.
You know again, text me, or ifyou want to leave any feedback,
let me know as well.
All right, until next time,stay fueled and nourished and I
will talk to you soon.
Bye-bye for now.
Hey, hey, welcome back to another podcast, or
another episode.
In the Simple NutritionInsights podcast.
I am your host, leonila Campos,registered dietitian, and today
we're diving into the colorfulworld of fruits and vegetables.
So I wanted to spend the nextlet's see the next four episodes
(00:22):
talking specifically about eachindividual food group, the
benefits and some practical tips, and maybe some recipes to help
you incorporate these foodgroups in a strategic way, in a
way that makes sense for you, sothat way you can have these
balanced meals.
So I wanted to start with ourfruits and vegetables.
(00:44):
Here's why.
So fruits and vegetables arenutrient powerhouses and they
are key to wellness, key forgood health, but yet many people
struggle to eat enough of them.
So in this episode, I'll breakdown the health benefits of
fruits and veggies, share tipson how to choose the best ones
(01:05):
at the grocery store and giveyou practical ways to add more
to your meals without feeling sooverwhelmed.
So let's get started.
Fruits and vegetables are packedwith essential nutrients like
fiber, antioxidants and water,and making them crucial for
overall health.
Here are some of the topbenefits.
(01:26):
So fruits and veggies are richin nutrients.
They provide vitamins like C, aand K, plus minerals like
potassium and magnesium, whichsupport immune function, bone
health and muscle function.
They are high in fiber andfiber helps with digestion,
keeps us full longer, sosatiated for a longer period of
(01:47):
time, and supports heart healthby lowering cholesterol, as well
as it helps with blood sugarmanagement.
I think I'm going to do apodcast episode just on fiber,
because fiber plays such a hugerole in so many functions in our
health and the majority of thepopulation only gets maybe about
10 grams of fiber and we needat least 30 grams of fiber a day
(02:11):
, so I'll do an episode just onthat.
But our fruits and vegetablesare packed and are high in fiber
.
They also have antioxidants andthey are pretty much antioxidant
powerhouses.
Many fruits and vegetablescontain antioxidants like
flavonoids or carotenoids, whichhelp fight inflammation and
(02:36):
protect against chronic diseaseslike heart disease and cancer.
And there's so manyantioxidants that I could go
over, but I'm not going to dothat today in each function that
they have.
But just remember that fruitsand vegetables, these
antioxidants that they have,they act at a cellular level,
meaning that they're helpingyour cells against oxidation,
(02:58):
against toxins, and theseantioxidants protect your cells
from damage.
You cannot get that with anyother food.
Essentially right, and so it'sso important to remember that
when we want to at a cellularlevel right, when we want to
optimize our health at acellular level, our fruits and
(03:19):
vegetables are a powerhouse todo that.
They also support hydration.
Many of them have high watercontent, which help us stay
hydrated, especially during hotweather or after our workouts,
and so that's another way tostay, you know, to add some
hydration to our meals or to ourday-to-day on top of drinking
(03:41):
enough water throughout the day,which is probably I think I've
done a couple episodes onhydration and some ways to
improve our hydration.
Fruits and vegetables also havean impact in gut health, so a
variety of fruits and veggiesprovide prebiotics, which is the
food right for the probiotics,and the probiotics are the gut
bacteria, the gut microbiome,and so those prebiotics feed the
(04:06):
gut bacteria in our gut andimprove digestion.
So those are just some of thetop benefits.
There's so many other benefits.
When we think about fruits andveggies, they help our eyesight
right.
When you think about carrots,they help our eyesight because
of the vitamin A our eyesightright.
When you think about carrots,they help our eyesight because
(04:28):
of the vitamin A.
And you know, if we think aboutall our oranges, even our reds.
They help with blood flow and,you know, carrying out oxygen
throughout the blood orthroughout the body.
So many other benefits thatfruits and veggies can provide.
How can we choose, you know,the best fruits and vegetables
at the grocery store?
Now, this is not just aninclusive list, right, there's
(04:49):
so many, just like the benefits.
There's so many other benefits.
There's so many other ways tothink about vegetables when we
are grocery shopping, but theseare just a few tips to pick the
best quality.
I live in California, sooftentimes we don't think about
not having a particular fruitand veggie because it's not in
season.
(05:09):
Right, usually we have themyear round, but that's not the
case in other parts of thecountry or in other countries,
and so the best thing to do isto buy these fruits and veggies
that are in season and there'smany resources that we can use
to know what specific fruits andvegetables grow in a specific
season and to look into that,because that can also be
(05:31):
affordable instead of buying Idon't know berries if they're
not in season.
They're probably pricier, right, even if you want to have those
benefits.
So seasonal fruits and veggiestaste better because,
essentially, they're growingright in the season where
they're going to be grown at thebest, are more affordable and
have higher nutrient content.
(05:52):
And so right now that is winter, winter produce includes citrus
fruits, root vegetables,potatoes, sweet potatoes and
many other tubers and leafygreens.
So if you want to add a lot ofextra of those extra vegetables
right into your meals, that'swonderful.
If you live in another part ofthe country or the world and
(06:14):
there are different veggies orfruits growing in season, this
time, choose those right.
Amazing that you still get thebenefits.
Check for freshness.
Look for vibrant colors, firmtextures and a fresh smell.
You know it's interestingbecause I do the smell with uh,
with strawberry.
(06:34):
So I oftentimes, when I gogrocery shopping, I grab the,
the case right, it's a plasticcase and I smell it right.
So I want to smell if the, thestrawberry smells sweet usually
know if they smell sweet when Icome home and I cut them.
They are actually sweet, right,and they taste so delicious.
My youngest son loves all typesof berries, so he gets excited
(06:56):
when the strawberries are niceand sweet.
So that's something that youcan do too, to check for
freshness.
Avoid produce that's bruised,mushy or moldy Usually you know
it's been.
If it's bruised, mushy or moldy, usually you know it's been.
If it's bruised, right, whenyou cut it you'll see the change
of color, right something.
If it's mushy, usually your,your products, your fruits and
veggies should be nice and firm.
(07:17):
If they're mushy, it could be,you know, maybe they fail or
they got squished or whatever.
You know they're going bad orwhatever.
Um, so you don't want them tobe mushy.
At least you know they have.
Um the fresh fruits and veggiesand absolutely no moldy, right,
mold has been growing and youshould not eat moldy fruits and
vegetables.
Um, they can cause somesickness.
(07:38):
Go for variety, right, aim fordifferent colors.
Each color represents differentnutrients.
Think, eat the right.
If that helps you remember toadd a variety Also to get a
variety of antioxidants.
So you know, when you thinkabout your orange fruits and
vegetables or your purple onesor your green ones, they all
(07:58):
have different antioxidants thathave different roles in their
bodies.
And so I often recommend evenmy clients, right, like if we've
been used to eating broccoli,only broccoli, right, for weeks
and weeks, let's add othercolors, right, maybe let's
explore other vegetables ormaybe other fruits, right, if
(08:19):
that's where you want to startto add a variety of antioxidants
and nutrients.
Frozen vegetables are great.
They're also a great option.
Oftentimes I do get thisquestion asked, right, like are
frozen vegetables the same, orlike it's better to have them,
to buy them fresh?
No, frozen vegetables can bealso a great option, especially
(08:42):
again if they're not in seasonor you live in a part of the
country or the world where it'sjust really hard to get fresh
produce.
Frozen ones are great.
Usually, before they get frozen, they're nice and fresh.
They go through that process offreezing them and they contain
the same nutrients, theymaintain the same nutrients.
(09:05):
So frozen are great andobviously they're going to last
longer, right, and so that savesmoney.
So they're perfect forconvenience and they do have a
long shelf life.
I oftentimes recommend these forberries, right?
So I usually have clients thatsay you know, I buy berries and
if we don't eat them within thenext few days they go bad, and
(09:27):
so I suggest buy them frozen,right?
If that is the case and berriesare not very cheap, buy them
frozen and then you can just addthem to your oatmeal, to your
smoothies, to your yogurt,pretty much whenever you want to
add them, and you still getthose benefits.
Note the shelf life, right,some fruits like bananas,
avocados and berries ripenquickly, as I mentioned, while
(09:48):
apples, carrots and potatoeslast much longer.
So, keeping those things inmind, right, especially if the
weather is really hot or humid,these vegetables or fruits tend
to ripen faster, right?
So, for example, you know, Ithink about bananas, right, I
usually leave bananas on thecounter.
(10:10):
Berries, I usually put them inthe fridge.
But even berries, you start tosee that the quality decline in
a matter of a couple of days,within that week.
Right, they're not going tolast long.
But I think about bananas inthe wintertime, and I usually
buy semi-green bananas because Iknow that by the time I'm done
(10:33):
eating them, right by the end ofthe week, they're going to be
nice and yellow.
But during the summer I have tobuy greener bananas because
it's hot and sometimes humid andthat makes the ripening process
even faster.
I usually don't like to put mybananas in the fridge because
when I eat them, I don't likeeating them cold, right, they
(10:56):
make my teeth hurt, so I likethem room temperature.
But that's another way to alsokeep your bananas from not
ripening so fast.
My husband gave me a tip foravocados so he said.
You know I think he read it orsaw it somewhere you know, you
wash your avocados and you putthem in a container with water
(11:18):
and you put that container inthe fridge and they do last
longer.
I was so surprised that, like,for some reason, the ripening
process kind of slows down onebecause they're also in the
fringe.
But if you know, if you hadthem for over a week, changing
that water right might be a goodidea, just to make sure there's
(11:38):
no extra bacteria growing thereor mold.
But you know, we know thatavocados are expensive and they
do ripen really fast.
So that's another way Usingyour crispers right in your
fridge, just making sure thatwhen you put them there in the
(11:58):
crispers instead of on the othersides of the counter or the
fridge, to last longer too aswell, longer too as well.
So that's another way to keepyour fruits and veggies lasting
longer.
So those are just some quicktips that you can keep in mind
(12:20):
when you are grocery shopping.
If you don't know, if you'relike I don't know how to add a
variety of fruits and veggies, Idon't know how to cook them.
There's so many recipes outthere that you can use.
You can try them out.
I have different clients, youknow that come to me and they
say you know, I've never hadspaghetti squash right.
(12:41):
And I'm going to tell you herea really quick story.
When I was working for theUniversity of California
Cooperative Extension, that wasone of the first jobs that I got
when I finished my undergrad innutrition, food science and
nutrition, and so we partneredUCC and other community
organizations were partnered tocome and provide for us to go
(13:04):
and provide nutrition educationand just other resources.
And so one of the communityorganizations that we partnered
with was the food bank, and aswe were learning about them and
learning about the foods thatthey were giving out to the
community, they would say youknow, we have these squash right
that the client's done, thatthe client's done.
(13:27):
So they would keep thesespaghetti squashes right, just
like untouched.
So, and the reason why isbecause people didn't know what
to do with them.
They don't even know what theywere, and so then we decided to
cook them right.
We had a kitchen that we woulduse to prepare things, and so we
(13:50):
cooked the spaghetti squashright, like with some sauce, and
we took some sample.
This is way pre-pre-pre coveredright, and we would let them
know.
Okay, this is a spaghettisquash.
This is how it looks like.
Here's the recipe.
Try it out If you like it.
You know you can cook it athome.
(14:11):
It's really simple and so,after people trying it right and
them liking it, they weretaking them.
So that was a positive thing.
So, if you don't know, you know, if you're curious about a
vegetable or about a fruit, finda recipe that you like or find
a recipe that you feelcomfortable and confident in
(14:32):
making and just try it out,right, you never know if you're
going to really enjoy it.
Okay, so let's talk about somemore practical ways to add more
fruits and veggies.
For example, breakfast, right,you can add so many fruits and
vegetables with breakfast.
Oftentimes we add more fruitsthan vegetables, but either way,
(14:57):
you can add berries or bananasto your oatmeal, blend spinach
into a smoothie, or top youreggs with sauteed veggies.
You can make tofu scramble oran omelet with tons of
vegetables and maybe a side ofberries.
You can have avocado toast,right, with either tofu or egg
(15:18):
and top it with, like, some morevegetables on there.
There's so many ways, right,but these are just a few.
For your snacks, right, you canadd.
You know you can have slicedcucumbers, bell peppers and
carrots, you know, ready to dipinto hummus or yogurt dip, or
you can have apple slices withnut butter or any other great
option.
(15:38):
Here's a quick tip.
When it comes to vegetables andfruits, right.
More so if you know that you'regoing to eat them, or if you
want your family to eat themwithin the next day or two.
Washing them and chopping themahead of time, right.
That saves time, saves that oneextra step Also, because
(16:00):
usually our families are morewilling to eat them if they
don't have to do that extra work.
I do see that with my children,but also with my clients, right
.
Oftentimes they even tell me ifthey're washed and ready to be
eaten.
I eat them, right, becausethey're ready to go.
I don't have to, like wait, youknow, get them out, wash them,
(16:22):
chop them.
You know those are extra steps.
It might not take long, but ourbrain's thinking about okay,
this is extra step.
You know what?
I'm just going to grab a bag ofchips, right?
Or these cookies, becausethey're ready to eat.
I have not, I don't haveanything else to do.
So Think about it that way too.
Right, how can I have thesesnacks ready, or these fruits
(16:44):
and vegetables ready so we caneat them, right, and it's easier
for us to eat them For lunch.
You can add extra greens to yoursandwiches or wraps tomatoes,
bell peppers, avocado, throw inshredded carrots or pack a side
salad, and you can add lots,lots of other things to your
(17:05):
salad.
You know, if you want to makeit somewhat sweet, right, you
can add berries to that.
You can add chopped walnuts orchopped or some kind of nut, and
you can add balsamicvinaigrette, if you like, right
on the side.
Or if you want it more savory,right, you can add aromame and
other beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers.
(17:29):
I mean, you can make so manyvarieties for your salads
instead of just like a sad pileof lettuce, right?
You can combine cauliflowercabbage, right, the different
colors of the cabbage.
You can combine them For dinner.
You can have.
You can roast a big batch ofvegetables for the week, right,
(17:53):
you can just put them in abaking sheet and roast them for
a couple of days during the weekand you don't have to worry
about that extra work.
Um, you can add extra veggiesto your soups and stews or mix
cauliflower rice into yourgrains, right.
So if you're like if you guyslike rice, right, and you're
(18:13):
like I want to have some veggiesto my rice, add the cauliflower
rice into the actual rice.
Sometimes I do that and it'sdelicious, right.
So that's another way to addsome vegetables to that meal.
Desserts you can try frozengrapes.
Those are really delicious,like if you freeze the grapes
and you eat them, especiallyduring the summer they are so
(18:38):
delicious.
You can also blend banana andmake an ice cream, right.
Or you can bake apples, addsome cinnamon for a naturally
sweet treat.
You can add dates, right.
Or prunes right, they're prettysweet naturally too or any
other dry fruit.
So those are some of those ways.
(19:00):
On the go, you can keep an appleor a handful of cherry tomatoes
in your bag for a quick snack,or those quick baby carrots they
have in the visual bags.
You can have that with you,right and have it on the go.
And those are some other waysto also add some extra veggies
or fruits.
So these are just some quick,quick, quick ways that you can
(19:24):
add some more fruits andvegetables to your meals.
Be creative If you like.
You know some vegetables morethan another, that's also okay.
Sometimes I have clients thatcome to me and they're like I
don't like tomatoes or I don'tlike broccoli, and they look at
me like if I'm going to tellthem what you have to eat them,
(19:45):
right?
No, there's so many Like.
If you go to the grocery store,especially if you live in
California, you can see theproduce area right, how big it
is and how many colors you know.
Try them out.
I remember when I moved to NorthCarolina right after what's it?
(20:09):
Yeah, it was right after Igraduated from college and or
maybe it was when I was doing aninternship, I don't remember,
but I remember going into thegrocery store and groceries were
so expensive.
I mean, obviously I'm surethey're more expensive now, but
when I was comparing prices fromCalifornia to North Carolina, I
(20:30):
was like this is insane, thisis really expensive.
I think at that time here inCalifornia lemons were like 10
lemons for a dollar and overthere were like one lemon for a
dollar and I was like, wow, thisis crazy.
So take advantage right.
If you live in California or ifyou live in an area where
(20:52):
produce are, you know, there'san abundance of them.
Enjoy that right, because inother parts of the country or in
other countries they might nothave those options to you.
I remember some clients wouldtell me when they travel right,
I think I don't remember if theywent to Italy or maybe Spain,
(21:15):
and it could be maybe theydidn't know where to find these
foods, but they said that theproduce were really limited.
Right, the availability offruits and vegetables was so
limited that when they came back, all they wanted to eat was
just fruits and vegetables.
One, because we had beenworking right on adding more of
these balanced meals, and sowhen they traveled, it was hard
(21:37):
for them to adjust to now nothaving them.
So when they came back, they'relike all I wanted to eat was
fruits and vegetables because mybody was having them.
So when they came back, they'relike all I wanted to eat was
fruits and vegetables because mybody was craving them.
So add them if you can.
The idea is to add these fruitsand vegetables on a daily basis,
right, fruits and vegetablesprovide most water-soluble
(21:59):
vitamins, and so your body'sgoing to use what it needs, and
then your kidneys are going toget rid of it through the urine,
and so it doesn't mean thatwe're really storing them.
So you have to have them on aconsistent basis to get those
nutrients in.
So keep those things in mind.
Make it super simple Again.
If you're struggling to get avariety now or you're noticing
(22:23):
that you're not adding enough,work them slowly, right.
The idea is to have fruits andvegetables about two fistfuls,
right?
If you make a fist, twofistfuls at each meal either one
fistful of fruits and onefistful of vegetables, whatever
combination you want to do, butyou want to be able to add them
(22:43):
with every single one of yourmeals.
Or, if you're not able to, withyour snacks, right?
The more meals that you skip,the less the opportunity that
you have to get these nutrientsin right.
So I want you to really reallythink about that.
The less meals that you eat,the less opportunity that you
have to make these meals balanceand get the nutrients that your
(23:05):
body needs.
So that is it, my friend.
Eating more fruits andvegetables doesn't have to be
complicated.
Start with small, simple swapsand gradually increase your
intake.
Remember fresh frozen canwithout added sugars or salts,
and even dried options all count.
What's one fruit or vegetableyou'll add to your meals this
(23:28):
week?
Let me know.
You can text me at 559-512-0404or find me in social media, on
Instagram at nutritionunderscore, with underscore
Leonila, and share that with me.
Remember that if you enjoy thispodcast or this episode, don't
forget to subscribe and leave areview, and if you're looking
(23:49):
for your personalized nutritionguidance, check out my programs.
You know again, text me, or ifyou want to leave any feedback,
let me know as well.
All right, until next time,stay fueled and nourished and I
will talk to you soon.
Bye-bye for now.
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