Yesterday, after eating a spinach/leafy herb salad, an apple, a large plum, about 2+ cups of strawberries, 1-2 clementines, and ½-cup of carrots, I figured I’d done a pretty good job of getting my 5 fruits & vegs in for the day. So today when curiosity spurred a Google search for exact serving size definitions for these 5 fruits & vegs, I was disheartened and confused to find several different recommendations.
One source said ½ cup of fruits & vegs, but a whole cup if it is spinach or other leafy greens, equals one serving of produce. BUT, if it is a piece of whole fruit, such as a banana or an apple, then one whole piece is equal to a whole serving. 2 plums is one serving, which I’m assuming is based on the fact that most plums are pretty small (not the one I had yesterday). Further reading said that “many experts” now recommend 5-9 servings of F & V http://nutrition.about.com/od/fruitsandvegetables/f/servingfruit.htm. Panicked at the thought of having to purchase this much produce, I did some more searching (where was Google when I did research projects in High School?) and found the site for the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, which individualizes your produce intake for you. Typing in my age, sex, and activity levels, it suggests I eat 2 cups of fruit and 2.5 cups of vegetables a day. It also has suggestions for what is considered a cup. Here are some things that are considered to be equivalent to 1 cup: 1 small apple, 1 large banana, 2 large or 3 medium plums, 2 cups of raw spinach (2 cups=1cup, hmm, I love spinach but the principle of it seems wrong), 8 large strawberries, 1 large orange, and 2 large stalks of celery. Here are some examples of ½ cups of produce: 16 grapes, 6 baby carrots, 5 broccoli florets, 1 medium cantaloupe wedge and ½ a grapefruit.
So, re-evaluating yesterday’s menu with these new measuring sticks, I probably had 3 cups of fruit and 1-1.5 cups of vegetables—a little more fruit and a little less veg than suggested, but roughly equaling the total amount suggested. However, before getting the individualized recommendation and making a rough estimate, I’d have said that I had about 7 servings of produce. I thought I was overachieving yesterday. Apparently not. The burning question consuming my psyche at this moment however is this: WHO CAN AFFORD TO EAT LIKE THIS??? And, after eating like this, who has room for anything else? http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/what/examples.html
2 comments:
Sometimes, when I feel like I've been lacking in my intake, I microwave a bag of frozen vegetables with 5 servings in it. That's cheap, and makes a good lunch sprinkled with cheese.
But, yes, it is really depressing as to cost and sheer quantity. Also, fruit just makes me HUNGRY, which I don't think can be helping me much.
Yah, fruit makes me hungry too if I eat just fruit. If I mix it with vegetables I can get by. Well, that and I've been eating strawberries lately like they're going out of style. Can't get hungry when you eat half a vat of 'em. Today I alternated strawberries with celery & tuna mixed with mayo on it.
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