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Your Health & Nutrition

C & D Fruit and Vegetable Company products are a delicious addition to your healthy lifestyle. We’re proud to offer a complete Marketplace of southern produce and strawberries.

The National Cancer Institute reports that eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day can help reduce the incidents of cancer. Yet, only one out of every ten people actually follow these guidelines. Berries as part of a daily diet are a delicious way to get antioxidants, phytochemicals, and other important vitamins and nutrients for the whole family.

An easy and delicious way to reach your “5 A Day” for better health as recommended by the Produce for Better Health Foundation and the USDA. Top cereal or waffles with fresh berries, or blend them into your smoothie, and you are well on your way to reaching the recommended five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables per day. A handful of fresh berries are the perfect snack. Just rinse and pop them in your mouth for a burst of flavor and nutrition.

A variety of different types of berries in your daily diet can help provide the essential nutrients you need to keep healthy. Berries have disease-fighting antioxidants, fiber and vitamin C, are fat free and low in calories.

Fresh berries of all kinds are:

Essential sources of vitamin C
fiber, folic acid, and phytochemicals (phyto-nutrients)
Sodium-free, cholesterol-free, fat free and low in calories

The following facts might surprise you.

Read on to learn—vegetable amounts you need to eat each day, how to help kids learn to like veggies, why variety is important, and how eating an adequate amount of vegetables can help with weight loss.

Adults need 2-1/2 to 3 cups per day
(89% don’t get enough fruits and vegetables in their diet!)
It’s not as difficult to meet this recommendation as you might think
Convenience is key. Easy options in produce aisle—bagged salad greens, individual packages of carrots, fresh and frozen vegetable mixes for stir-frying and steaming that takes prep work out of the way.
Kids are notorious for not liking vegetables.
79% of kids ages 2–18 don’t get the recommended amount of vegetables needed each day. And a study of preschool children (ages 2—5) found 75% didn’t get their recommended amounts of vegetables.
Offer different vegetables at meals but don’t force your child to eat them. Put a serving on their plate and let them eventually work their way to trying a bite.
It takes about 8—15 times before a kid can decide if he truly dislikes a food so don’t give up on veggies! Calm, repeated exposure to vegetables is an effective way to overcome a child’s refusal.
Some parents find the concept of “no thank you” bites a good compromise. The child has to take one bite of a food (vegetables or otherwise) but if he or she doesn’t like it, that’s it for that meal. Remember to vary your veggies.
Variety is important when it comes to veggies.
Different nutrients are found in different veggies. For example, red peppers are excellent source of vitamin C while carrots are rich in beta carotene.
Eat the colors of the rainbow to get the most nutrition with the vitamins, minerals, fiber and disease-fighting phytochemicals you need for good health. Lose weight with vegetables.
Adding veggies is one of best changes you can make in your diet to not only boost your health but also to help control weight.
Vegetables are naturally low in calories and fat.
Vegetables are also low calorie dense foods and water-rich so they pack a lot of nutrition in a few amount of calories.
Although general recommendation is to avoid vegetables in sauce if you’re trying to lose weight to cut back on calories, there are now some varieties of frozen veggies in low fat sauces that are surprisingly low in calories and fat.
Entertain the fruit and vegetable way! Parties always pose a tricky situation for those watching their waistlines. If you’re the hostess, offer guests a bountiful fruit and vegetable tray or vegetable-based dish to provide alternative options to higher calorie fare—and at the same time, help everyone get more fruits and vegetables into their day! If you’re a guest, offer to bring a vegetable themed dish.

For recipes and tips to include fruit and vegetables during your parties, visit The Produce for Better Health’s MoreMatters Webpage at www.FruitsAndVeggiesMoreMatters.org.