Eat Green by Eating Greens!

Insider's Viewpoint: Expert Supermarket Advice: Eat Green by Eating Greens! Maggie Moon, FreshDirect. Fruits And Veggies More Matters.org

April has been a great Earth Month! In addition to a month of homage to our shared planet Earth, April aptly signals the turn of the season from winter to glorious spring and all its potential. It’s ripe with the promise of fairer weather, and for anyone outside major growing areas like California, it’s also the start of peak season for an abundance of fresh, local, fruits and vegetables.

What a perfect time to appreciate eating "green" by eating greens (and reds, blues, oranges, yellows … you get the idea). For the planet, eating green could be a great thing since plant foods usually use fewer natural resources to grow than animal foods. For your health, eating green is consistent with the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 recommendation to eat a plant-based diet.

According to the Guidelines, plant-based diets are linked to lower levels of obesity and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease – two chronic conditions that often exist together, occurring far too often in the U.S. A plant-based diet doesn’t have to be a vegetarian diet, but it is one that is firmly focused on a variety of veggies and other plant foods such as whole grains, nuts, seeds, fruits, herbs, and spices.

How Did You Celebrate Earth Month?
I celebrated (and will continue to celebrate) by mixing and matching simple, wholesome, single-ingredient plant foods in every meal and snack I enjoy. It doesn’t get simpler than a one-ingredient ingredient list!

How to Get More Plants into Your Diet

Breakfast AM Snack Lunch PM Snack Dinner
Oatmeal
Apples
Almonds
Cinnamon
Cheddar Cheese
Golden Raisins
Grapefruit
Cilantro
Lime
Quinoa Salad w/Avocado
Pistachios Bell Peppers
Carrots
Onions
Parsley
Brown rice salad w/Edamame
 
Maggie Moon, MS, RD
Corporate Nutritionist
FreshDirect
 
 

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