Fruits & Veggies: More Matters Month

According the HealthFinder.gov, September is Fruits & Veggies: More Matters Month. Now that Summer is coming to an end, the  local farmers and super markets will be filled with turnips, pumpkins, broccoli, butter lettuce, honey dew and other seasonal fruits and vegetables that can lower our risk for some chronic diseases, like heart disease and type 2 diabetes. However, most of us don’t eat enough from this food group.

Only 1 in 3 adults eat the recommended amount of fruits every day*. Only 1 in 4 adults eat the recommended amount of vegetables every day*. Changing our eating habits can be overwhelming, but there are small things we can do. We can encourage our families to have at least one serving of  fresh fruit or vegetables with each meal and motivate local businesses to create healthier workplaces by providing quality foods. Personally, I enjoy visiting the local farmers markets on Saturday mornings. I have really embraced the field-to-fork concept.

*www.healthfinder.gov

by Meredith Talford, Upstate Training & TA Specialist, SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy