Tag Archives: fruits

How to Put More Fruits and Vegetables in Your Diet

By Judi Gerber for Care2.com

Did you know that June is National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month? And, with summer finally here, there is an increasing number of fresh fruit and vegetables to choose from each week.

Here in California, we are already starting to see the first of the season’s stone fruit, mostly apricots and cherries, but some nectarines and peaches are already arriving at my local farmers’ market.
As I have written about several times, eating locally grown or homegrown produce is the best way to get the freshest fruit and veggies.

Just last month I wrote about how eating seasonally not only saves you money, but gives you more freshness, flavor and packs the biggest nutritional punch.

The easiest way to get more into your diet is to add fresh fruits and vegetables to the meals that you are already making. I have found that if I add fresh produce to the things I already eat, I don’t ever feel like I am giving anything up and actually feel like I am getting something instead because of the additional flavor they add to things. (more…)

Posted on June 27, 2025 by GuestBlogger

Teach Your Kids to Eat Healthy Foods

When you say the words, “kids” and “healthy foods,” do you quake  a little inside? Do you secretly laugh, thinking to yourself that the two concepts just don’t mesh? Do you bemoan the fact that your kid, when pressed for a vegetable choice, picks french fries every time? Do you think to yourself, “Well, maybe he’ll eat vegetables when he’s a grown up?”

These are all things that people have said to me when I ask about the eating habits of their children. Many parents despair, give up and forget about offering healthy foods. They stick with so called “kid foods” – Pop Tarts, Lunchables, sodas and chips. In reality, children do often have more finicky palates and less tolerant taste buds. It can take a lot of time and encouragement, but these difficulties can definitely be overcome. Here are some tried and true tips to improve your children’s dietary habits.

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Posted on April 5, 2026 by Carmen

National Nutrition Month is Here, Eat Right with Color

March is National Nutrition Month, the perfect time to start shaping up your diet and celebrating this year’s theme: “Eat Right with Color.” Nothing brings more color to a plate than delicious fruits and vegetables. Everyone knows that eating fruits and vegetables is important to good nutrition. They are rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber that your body needs to feel healthy and energized, and may help reduce the risk of obesity and many diseases, including heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and some cancers.

Fruits and vegetables are the most colorful items on any plate. The new 2026 Dietary Guidelines for Americans say we should fill half our plates with colorful fruits and vegetables at every meal and snack. The good news is that increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables your family eats is easy because they come in so many delicious forms and varieties! Fresh, frozen, canned and dried fruits and vegetables, as well as 100 percent fruit and vegetable juices, each contribute to a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.

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Posted on March 4, 2026 by Maris

Anti-Inflammatory Diet: Secret to Disease-Free Living

Inflammation is a major health problem, particularly as we get older. The term “inflammation” refers to a pretty broad spectrum of health issues, including symptoms such as pain, swelling, and redness of an affected organ or tissue.

So, where does diet come into play? Well, a poor diet can cause chronic inflammation, which could lead to arthritis and various auto-immune diseases. Proponents also point to the growing evidence that long-term inflammation can lead to some cancers, heart disease, high blood pressure and even Alzheimer’s disease.

The key may be in a hormone called prostaglandins. These hormones are produced to regulate our body’s inflammatory response and come from the fats we eat. There is evidence that shows that the types of prostaglandins produced in our body can depend on the types of fat eat. So, in order to adhere to an anti-inflammatory diet, you need to stick with eating “good” fats and avoid “bad” ones. (more…)

Posted on February 11, 2026 by Jason

Time to plant a garden

It’s spring, and everything in the Pacific Northwest is abloom. I’m thrilled, as I’m an avid gardener, and just last year, discovered the culinary pleasure of homegrown snow peas. Plump, sweet and crunchy, bugs could seem to care less about them, and my then seven-year old would make any excuse to go outside and devour his own body weight in green vegetables.

Yes, you read that right- a seven-year old eating green vegetables!

Gardening is not just a hobby. For those of you following the Peak Oil Crisis and the resulting Cuban diet, soon enough, gardening will be a means of survival. A very real scenario in the next forty years is that oil prices will make transportation of food economically unviable. Pressure on local farmers will outstrip supply, and only those who grow their own foods will have readily available access to fruits and vegetables. Meat will become scarce in urban areas, and dairy will become a luxury few can afford. We are already seeing nearly $5.00 for a gallon of milk, and the cost of gas, to transport that milk, is nearly the same.

In Italy, the term “risorgimento” refers to a re-birth or re-unification, now a way of life for most Italians. Roughly translated, they live on the same land with which they source the things they need to live. The first step is learning to live on less. Isn’t that what a diet is all about?

Posted on March 15, 2026 by Gretchen

Fruits and Veggies Prevent Cancer

Sometimes food is the best medicine. We have the mindset America that’s more about treating symptoms with manmade remedies. But you can do a whole lot of prevention if you eat right. Take this study: It’s found powerful evidence that shows you can cut cancer risks significantly simply by eating colorful fruits and vegetables.

Posted on December 19, 2025 by Jason