The New Dietary Guidelines

ive is so last year. For 2005, nine is the new five. I'm talking about the new government-suggested guidelines for servings of fruits and vegetables, of course. I know that you're above average in everything you do, but for a little perspective, the average American eats only three servings of fruits and vegetables a day—way below the goal set by the previous guidelines.

The one thing that we in the nutrition community know for sure is that fruits and vegetables are healthy; eating more produce is associated with lower risks for stroke, heart disease, type-2 diabetes, and certain cancers. Since fruits and vegetables are low in calories, high in nutrients, and relatively filling, eating more of them should help displace other foods in our diets that are more caloric and less nutritious. This will hopefully lead to a collective American weight loss and an end to the exploding obesity epidemic we're facing—as long as everyone tries to meet these new goals. I hope you're up to this new challenge, because it sounds like we've all got some work to do. So how can we go about actually achieving these goals of at least four servings of fruit and at least five servings of vegetables each day? Here are some of my suggestions:

♦  Make a deal with yourself that every time you eat a meal or a snack that it has to contain at least one serving of a produce item. For example, fresh blueberries on your cereal, vegetables on your sandwich, and cherry tomatoes with hummus for your snack. ♦  When you eat out, switch out your side dishes for vegetables. For example, if your fish dinner comes with mashed potatoes and rice, substitute two different vegetables from the daily specials, like sautéed broccoli and baked butternut squash. ♦  Try to eat a salad as your main course for lunch or dinner. No wimpy side salads or anything, I mean a big colorful salad, brimming with dark lettuces, carrots, tomatoes, corn, peas, beets, peppers, cauliflower, beans, wheat berries, chicken or tuna, and some nuts. Make a trip to Gelson's salad bar to create your own unique and healthy combination of satisfying ingredients. ♦  Be mindful of your salad dressing; they can be very high in fat and calories and may contain unhealthy trans fats and saturated fats. Also, thick and creamy dressings are a no-no since you need a lot more of them to coat your salad. My little trick is to use about a tablespoon of your favorite dressing and dilute it with red wine and/or balsamic vinegars. Shake it all up in a little cup and notice how much less you need to dress your veggies once it's thinned out. You still get the flavor of your favorite dressing, though. ♦  Remember the color rule; different colors mean different nutrients, which mean different health benefits. Try to eat a variety of colored produce, especially dark green and orange-red vegetables, each day. Dark Green Vegetables: Spinach Swiss chard Beet and turnip greens Kale Lettuces Broccoli Brussels sprouts Baby bok choy Parsley Cabbage Avocado Orange-Red Vegetables: Carrots Sweet potatoes Pumpkin Butternut squash Tomatoes Red and orange bell peppers ♦  Eat fruit for dessert or as a snack. Fruit is nature's fast food—it's easy to carry a couple of whole pieces with you and eat them throughout the day. Don't forget to eat a variety, not just apples and bananas. Branch out to kiwis, tangerines, and berries. ♦  My healthy recipes emphasize vegetables, fruits, and other plant foods. Try some of my monthly recipes to help increase the variety and frequency of your produce consumption. If you don't cook, head for our service deli and pick up some of my healthy salads, like Spinach and Grape Salad and Super Antioxidant Chopped Salad.

Setting new goals for yourself can be a good thing. It forces you to examine your current habits and make some positive changes. Taking notice and being more mindful of your food choices may be all it takes to improve your eating habits, and subsequently your health. If you're ready to eat en vogue, I can help you do it. Just remember that eating fruits and vegetables is not a fad—it's a healthy practice that never goes out of style.