Are You Getting Your Share of Fresh Produce? 5 Tips for Eating More Raw Fruits & Veggies

Current anti-cancer recommendations tell us to eat 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables every day. I recommend making as much as of this raw as possible for added benefits.

So how can we make this happen? Here are 5 strategies I use on a regular basis:

Tip #1. Stay stocked with fresh produce. I like to shop at the many farmers’ markets we have in Southern California for right-from-the-field produce. When I can’t get there, I might go to a neighborhood produce store, like Farmer Boy which carries only fresh California produce. Or I just stock up during my weekly shopping trip to the supermarket.

Tip #2. Aim for two pieces of fresh fruit a day. You could have half a grapefruit with breakfast, a chopped banana in your cereal, a pear or bunch of grapes for a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack, or munch on a sliced apple (experiment with the many varieties!) for an evening treat a couple hours after dinner.

Tip #3. When dining out, substitute a salad for French Fries, rice or potato. Realize that it’s not only OK, but beneficial to have both a fresh raw salad AND cooked vegetables at a meal.

Tip #4. Have a salad as your main course for one of your meals most days. Use different combinations of vegetables, greens and other ingredients for your salads so you tantalize your taste buds and don’t get bored. During colder temperatures, go for nutritious and hearty soups or stews (even though the veggies are cooked) as your body will crave warm foods, and have a salad or other raw food item on the side.

Tip #5. Experiment with new recipes using raw ingredients. Yesterday I made an amazing Asian cucumber salad, using rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil and fresh grated ginger. Author David Wolfe has many interesting raw recipes (such as Avocado Burritos) in his live-foods diet book, The Sunfood Diet Success System. There are many other raw books on the market that can give you additional ideas.

Here are some basic serving sizes to help you judge your produce consumption:

1 serving

1 cup of raw leafy salad greens
1/2 cup of raw chopped vegetables or fruit
One piece of medium-size fruit

Buy organic whenever you can!

Have fun and enjoy!

To your health!

Robin Quinn, CNHP
Health and Nutrition Educator