(NC)—Wise food choices and regular exercise are steps in the right direction when it comes to improving our overall health. However, one of the easiest (and tastiest) means of maintaining a healthy lifestyle is being ignored. While Health Canada recommends consuming between seven and ten servings of fruits and vegetables a day, Statistics Canada research shows that less than half of Canadians are even making it to five. “We’re taught from childhood that fruit is good for you,” says registered dietitian Lydia Knorr. “Yet even Canadians who are moving towards healthier diets and more active lives aren’t making room on their plates for those recommended servings.”
Incorporating Florida citrus into daily snacks and meals is a simple way to get to that recommended intake. For example, at breakfast time, one 250 mL glass of 100 per cent pure Florida orange or grapefruit juice equates to two servings.
Need a reason to sack the sweets in favour of citrus? Here are five:
1. Health helper—Give your body a boost with a tasty grapefruit. Florida citrus contains essential vitamins, minerals and fibre, all of which may aid in the prevention of disease.
2. Family-friendly—Florida citrus can be packed in lunches or used in grown-up foods like marinades or glazes. For parents looking to make sure kids are getting their vitamins, a fruity treat is a great way to keep them energized without having to hide the healthy stuff.
3. Guilt-free goodness—Say goodbye to eater’s remorse: citrus fruit is light and healthy and can help you maintain a weight you’ll feel positive about.
4. Quick and cost-effective—Your grocery budget may be shrinking, but your appetite doesn’t have to. Drinking a glass of 100 per cent pure orange juice is convenient, inexpensive and filling compared to other beverages like pop or punch—and it’s healthier too.
5. Sweetest snack—Throw those candies away and start fresh with a snack that’s naturally sweet. Fruit can be incorporated into other snacks for diet variety. For example, add some 100 per cent pure orange juice into a smoothie or fresh Florida grapefruit slices into loaves or muffins.
“Replacing high-calorie candies and fatty snacks with fresh fruit doesn’t have to mean compromising on cost or taste,” says Knorr. “Fruit like grapefruit not only helps you look and feel great, but also delivers when the sweet tooth hits.”
Visit floridacitrus.ca for fun and delicious ways to help you get your five a day.
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