You’ve heard since you were young that you need to eat your veggies. But if you just don’t like the taste of them, you may wonder why you need to eat them—and how many of them is enough.

There are a lot of reasons why you should fill your plate with vegetables and fruit. Our team at AFC Urgent Care Cheltenham wants to take a few minutes to share some insight on the topic.

Why Are Fruits & Veggies Key Parts of a Healthy Diet?

First things first, why do you need to eat veggies (and fruit)? That’s an easy one to answer! These healthy foods are packed with all sorts of nutrients, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

In other words, they contain all the good stuff—and none of the bad! Experts recommend eating at least four servings of fruit each day and five servings of vegetables, but you may be surprised what makes up a serving size.

Produce Serving Sizes

• One medium apple
• One small banana
• Half a medium avocado
• Half a medium grapefruit
• 16 grapes
• Four large strawberries
• Six baby carrots
• Half a large bell pepper
• One small ear of corn
• Half a large sweet potato

Are Some Vegetables Healthier Than Others?

The best vegetable is the one you will eat! They all contain healthy components, so experiment until you find some that appeal to your tastebuds.

With that said, it is important to include fruits and vegetables of a variety of colors in your diet. That’s because each different hue contains distinct nutrients, so eating the rainbow helps you get all the healthy stuff.

Other Healthy Eating Habits

• Limit your intake of saturated fats, added sugars and excess sodium.
• Bake or grill foods instead of frying them.
• Choose fruits and vegetables that don’t have sauces or syrups.
• Select lean proteins, like chicken or fish.
• Eat a moderate amount of healthy fat, like what’s found in fatty fish or olives.

Feeling less than your best? Schedule an AFC TeleCare appointment at AFC Urgent Care Cheltenham to get the care you need from the comfort of home.