It is recommended for us to consume at least 9 servings (about 4½ cups) of vegetables and fruits a day, and potatoes don't count. It is best to eat fruits and vegetables in their "whole" forms.
Fruits juices contain the more readily available fruit sugars. In other words, drinking fruit juices will drastically increase your blood sugar and insulin levels. The habit of drinking fruit juices frequently can contribute to weight gain in some people.
Below is an example of how easy it is to achieve the 9 servings daily requirement for fruits and vegetables.
Breakfast: equivalent to 1½ cups
- 1 small banana + ½ cup dried prunes in a bowl of oat or cereal
Lunch: equivalent to 1½ cup
- Mixed salad comprising of 1 cup lettuce, 6 baby carrots, ½ cup cucumber as side salad
Dinner: equivalent to 1½ cups
- ½ cup stir-fry broccoli as side dishes
- 1 apple or 16 grapes
