If you have survived cancer as lung, breast or mesothelioma, or if you have a high risk of developing cancer the future, experts recommend at least half of your plate at meal time should be filled with fruits and vegetables.
Not only do these foods provide an abundance of vitamins and minerals but they also contain antioxidants that fight cancer you won 't found in meats and dairy products. A diet rich in plant-based foods also reduces the risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity and stroke.
But in most American households, families still do not eat enough fruits and vegetables.
A report in July 2015 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that half of all adults in the US are falling behind on their suggested daily servings of plant-based foods.
When fruits and vegetables are lacking, other foods are in excess - including meat, dairy products and processed foods. This means that most plates in the United States are filled with healthy foods that can help prevent cancer and disease.
CDC Finds low fruit and vegetable
The CDC results came from a health survey of more than 370,000 adults in 50 states and Washington, DC on the investigation the telephone base, conducted every two years with technical assistance from CDC, is called the behavioral risk factor surveillance system (BRFSS).
BRFSS used the random calls asking respondents how often they consumed fruit and vegetables over the past day, week or month. It aimed to discover first what percentage of the population of each state met recommendations for current daily intakes for these food groups.
The results showed that from 07 to 2010, 76 percent of respondents did not meet the fruit consumption recommendations, and 87 percent did not comply with vegetable intake recommendations.
children were better off, with 60 percent below their recommendations fruit and 93 percent eat less vegetables than they should.
five states with the highest intake of fruits and vegetables
California led the nation in fruit and vegetable consumption 07 to 2010, with 17.7 percent of Californians meet fruit recommendations per day and 13 percent meeting the recommendations of vegetables daily.
Top Fruit consumers
- California
- New York
- Washington, DC
- New Hampshire
- Florida
Selection vegetable consumers
- California
- Oregon
- Vermont
- Alaska
- Nevada
5 States with less fruit and vegetable consumption
Tennessee and Mississippi had the lowest intake of fruit and vegetables in the United States, according 'investigation. Residents of the following states should consider eating more fruits and vegetables to ward off heart disease, diabetes and obesity.
lowest consumers of fruit
- Tennessee
- West Virginia
- Oklahoma
- Arkansas
- Alabama
lowest vegetable consumers
- Mississippi
- Oklahoma
- Tennessee
- North Dakota
- Iowa
Choosing the right portions
portion sizes in the United States have gradually become too important. Although there are several eating patterns you can follow to stay healthy and repel cancer, portion control is a key component of any diet.
Take a look at the portion size finder below to determine the size of your portions should be.
What Do look Portions Like?
| Power | Serving | Looks like |
|---|---|---|
| chopped vegetables | 1/2 cup | 1/2 baseball |
| Raw leafy vegetables | 1 cup | 1 baseball |
| fresh | 1/2 cup (chopped) | 1/2 baseball |
| dried fruit | 1/4 cup | 1 golf ball |
| Pasta, rice and cooked cereals | 1/2 cup | 1/2 baseball |
| red meat, poultry and seafood | 3 ounces (cooked) | Playing cards |
| beans | 1/2 cup (cooked) | 1/2 baseball |
| Nuts | 1/3 cup | average handful of adults |
| cheese | 1 1/2 ounces | 4 dice |
the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) currently recommends all adults consume 00 calories per day should eat 1 ½ to 2 cups fruit and 2 to 3 cups of vegetables per day.
Again, the easiest way to do this is to fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables for each meal and snack. You can visit choosemyplate.gov to find healthy recipes and access useful tools and resources to track your diet.
In addition to the USDA model for a healthy diet, the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) created a similar model called "the new American plate." The AICR suggests meals should be composed of 2/3 or more vegetables, fruits, whole grains or beans and 1/3 or less of animal protein. Visit the AICR Web site to learn more about portion sizes and take a quiz on nutrition and cancer prevention.
Studies show that our behaviors early in life affect our choices later, so we'll start improving our consumption of fruits and vegetables now. Not only helps us to stay healthy, but also sets a positive example for our children, promoting better health outcomes for future generations.
