You did it! You’re now officially past the halfway point in your four week plan to getting healthy! Congratulations!

I know you are exercising and eating healthy but today we are going to visit the important topic of eating a colorful plate – that is, a plate full of fruits and veggies!

We are all familiar with the good-old food pyramid and the breakdown of what our diets should consist of. But, there’s a new tool in town – the USDA’s new MyPlate icon is a familiar way to visualize how your plate should look at each meal. And guess what? Fruits and vegetables should make up HALF of your pretty plate! High consumption of fruits and veggies…

• fills your body with vitamins, minerals, plant chemicals and phytochemicals
• lowers obesity and helps in maintaining a healthy weight
• lowers blood pressure

Also, high levels of these magical foods help protect against…

• type 2 diabetes
• stroke
• heart disease
• some forms of cancer
• high blood pressure

Now, after reading all of that I know you are thinking to yourself, “Man! I need to add more color to my diet!” While this is most certainly true for most people, each and every person varies on their height, weight and physical activity so the daily recommended intake is not universal. However, there are several resources from the CDC on How Many Fruits and Vegetables You Need and also Daily Food Plans that show your food group targets and allowances based on your personal characteristics.

While I’ve told you about the benefits of a fruit and vegetable filled diet and also provided you with valuable resources on how to customize your intake to your own life, you may still be a little unclear on what constitutes one cup or one serving of a particular produce product. Well, have I got a treat for you! Check out the chart below for a representation of some recognizable fruits and vegetables.