Fruits & Veggies for the WIN!
One of the mottos in our house is Win the Day. Not the year, the month, or the week. Just Win the Day. We’ve said it around our house for years to motivate each other as we head out the door each morning. For us, winning the day isn’t about crushing a presentation at work, or checking off all of the items on our to-do list. It’s all about feeling good!
Market research shows that consumption of fruits and vegetables daily improves happiness, life satisfaction, and emotional well-being.1,2 Fruits and vegetables are essential to help me feel good and Win the Day. Here are a few things I do to keep fruits and veggies on hand and ready to eat!
Meal Plan
We talk about it often, but it is truly is such a stress relief to have all my groceries at home and my meal planned out when I leave work after a long day. When planning your meals for the week, be sure to plan for ½ your plate to be fruits and vegetables. Plus, don’t forget about the great frozen or canned options you may have hiding in your pantry or freezer.
Make Time for Breakfast
Setting your alarm for even 10 minutes earlier can provide you with a few extra minutes to eat breakfast. I always ensure that I have at least one serving of fruit for breakfast, and for me, it’s often some berries, or a fresh banana to eat with my yogurt or my peanut butter toast. It’s a quick and easy way to start the day off with one serving of produce!
Pack Snacks with Lunch
My husband laughs at my packed-full lunch bag that I bring to work, but truth be told, I pack a lunch as well as two snacks to fuel me through the day! Each snack has at least one fruit or a vegetable and I do my best to add 2 servings of produce to my lunch. What’s even better is that my lunch is often leftovers from dinner the night before- so all my veggie prep is completely worth it! (Pro-tip: keep nutritious snacks on hand at work such as canned fruit, applesauce, and even dried fruit! Pair with a handful of healthful nuts and you’re golden.)
A Fruity Dessert
Like most individuals, I crave something sweet in the evenings. I still enjoy my chocolate, but most evenings a perfect piece of fruit does the trick!
Whatever types of crazy your week bring, utilize the power of fruits and vegetables to help you feel great and Win the Day!
Sources
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R Mujcic, AJ Oswald. Evolution of Well-Being and Happiness After Increases in Consumption of Fruit and Vegetables. American Journal of Public Health, 2016: 106(8), 1504-1510. View
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Produce for Better Health Foundation. Eating Fruits & Veggies Actually Makes You… Happier? Retrieved from https://fruitsandveggies.org/stories/buzz-eating-fruits-veggies-actually-makes-happier/
