Lately, I’ve been talking a lot about getting into the right mindset to help YOU get back on track with your health and fitness goals after a busy summer. So now that you’re ready to go full force (I hope!), where do you begin? Well, September brings us “Fruit and Veggies -- More Matters” month, which comes at the perfect time to start a new habit of eating more fruit and vegetables! Did you know that we should have 5 servings of fruits and veggies each day? To figure out a serving of vegetables, use your hand and make a fist. That is what one serving of veggies looks like. To determine a serving of fruit beyond just one piece of fruit, use your hand again, but this time cup your hand. This is what one serving of fruit looks like. Try to focus on non-starchy veggies like leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumbers, brussel sprouts, peppers, onions, tomatoes, carrots, zucchini, yellow squash, or mushrooms. These are low in calories and sugar, fill you up with good fiber, and provide powerful nutrients to keep your body moving throughout the day. I always recommend getting more veggies than fruit, so I like to shoot for 4 veggies and 1 fruit per day. I’m pretty habitual with my meals and snacks, so I typically have my fruit at the same time each day and split up my veggies between lunch and dinner. If you try to tackle this new habit but you are going from zero fruits and veggies a day to trying to have 5 servings, I’ll be honest… You may get a couple “good days” in, but it is going to fizzle out quickly and likely not stick as a habit. Instead start at a level that fits you. Maybe it’s having 1 serving of veggies a day. Or maybe you need to start even smaller with 1 bite of a veggie a day. YOU know yourself best. Just make it easy enough that you will find success. Here is an easy tip to get started: Have a salad at lunch or dinner each day.

1. After you go to the grocery store, cut up a cucumber and bell peppers and/or have some grape tomatoes and carrots on hand in your fridge.

2. Grab a couple handfuls of romaine, spinach or kale in a bowl.

3. Add your cut veggies.

Boom! You’re done AND you get a bonus because you will have actually gotten 2 servings of veggies in for the day! Go YOU!

Does this sound doable? We’ve all gotta start somewhere on our journey of healthy eating. You can do this!

Your biggest cheerleader,

Nat

#vegetables #fruit