Fruits and vegetables - Why they are so healthy

To stay healthy, your body needs important nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals. These are found in large numbers in fruits and vegetables, which we should therefore eat every day. The Fruits and vegetables are healthy, is also due to the fact that they contain nutrients that our body can not produce itself and that are not contained in any other food. Therefore, fruits and vegetables are essential for a healthy body and a healthy diet indispensable. Now you can find out what exactly makes fruits and vegetables so valuable, how much you should eat a day, and exactly what ingredients they contain. Let's go!

Vitamins and minerals in fruits & vegetables

Vitamins and minerals belong to the essential nutrients. This means that our body cannot produce them itself, or cannot produce them in sufficient quantity and number. Therefore, we must supply them from the outside and this is best done through food.

Granted, there are also good Food supplements for this effect, however, the basis of a healthy diet should be as whole, unprocessed foods as possible and supplemented only by supplements.

So let's stick to the things that Mother Nature gives us, because that's what man has been living with for several millennia, and usually not so badly.

Notice: Fruits and vegetables are on average rich in Potassium, Magnesium, Vitamin C, E and K and does not help too much Sodium or Chloride to record.

Secondary plant substances - By no means secondary

Whether colorants, flavorings or bitter substances - the so-called secondary plant compounds are very diverse. However, one should not be misled by the name, because secondary in the sense that these plant substances are negligible, they are not. Rather, they seem to play a major role in keeping us healthy. At any rate, current studies indicate that this is the case. For example, these phytochemicals are said to protect against cancer. This is supposed to work in such a way that the secondary plant compounds act like antioxidants in the human body and thus have a preventive effect against cancer.

But not only that: Positive effects on the entire cardiovascular system and thus also on blood pressure have also already been confirmed. People suffering from high blood pressure in particular should therefore make sure that they eat fruit and vegetables several times a day. However, the selection also plays a role.

5x fruit & vegetable day - but properly

We know the recommendation: Five portions of fruit or vegetables per day should be enough to keep us healthy. But there's a catch: it's not enough to eat an apple five times a day. Apples are healthy, but if they are eaten as the only fruit, this is also an unbalanced diet. And that's what we need to avoid. So it is especially important to take advantage of the variety of fruits and vegetables and to eat a varied diet.
There is evidence that the positive properties that fruits and vegetables have on our bodies reinforce each other. Yet another round, then, to eat a balanced and varied diet.

On the other hand, you can also eat fruits and vegetables only twice if you eat larger portions. So you don't have to take the rule too seriously and can remain flexible. The rule should rather help you to remind yourself to eat enough fruits and vegetables.

Some fruits & vegetables are healthier than others

Not only the variety, but also the selection of varieties of fruits and vegetables plays a role. Because some varieties are actually even healthier than others. The good news is that even those who want to eat a balanced diet here in Central Europe don't have to do without anything. On the contrary, many native varieties are real super fruits or vegetables. Broccoli, carrots and the classic spinach are true bombs of secondary plant compounds and should therefore not be missing in any kitchen.

Especially in terms of phytochemicals, you should buy vegetables with bright colors, because they usually contain more phytochemicals. Purple carrots, red onions and purple potatoes are therefore ideal for increasing the intake of phytochemicals. When shopping plastic-free, you can, for example, use a fruit and vegetable bag, which you can you can conveniently order online here.

This means that you can go ahead and use regional products to do something good for your body - and think about the environment at the same time. Because fruit and vegetables from regional production have a positive effect on the climate balance, as less harmful CO2 has to be emitted to transport the vegetables to us. In addition, fruits and vegetables are much more climate-friendly than meat or dairy products, since fruits and vegetables require far fewer resources and emit fewer pollutants. You can find out more about climate and nutrition in my article Nutrition and the Environment.

Tip: In the contributions "Vegetarianism Statistics." and "Veganism Statistics" you will find facts and figures about vegan-vegetarian nutrition and its impact.

Take in as many healthy ingredients from fruits and vegetables as possible

There are some tricks how you can get as many healthy ingredients from fruits and vegetables as possible. We have already presented some above, but have others in store:

• Buy fresh but ripe fruits and vegetables. Ripe fruit contains many more vitamins, minerals and ultimately also secondary plant substances than unripe, green fruit. Therefore, you should already make sure when shopping to buy the fruit and vegetables that have received a lot of sun and are therefore ripe.
• Frozen rather than canned. What used to be frowned upon in the kitchen is now almost commonplace: fruit and vegetables from the freezer. The advantage: You always have fresh fruit and vegetables at home when you want to eat them and can therefore also buy well in advance. Which is very important, especially in today's stressful times. In addition, studies have shown that frozen fruits and vegetables have even more healthy ingredients than preserved fruit. Fresh is always better, of course, but frozen is now a real alternative. Here you will learn how to Freeze food without plastic simply by following your heart.
• Pay attention to the preparation. Vegetables should - if at all - not be cooked too long and, above all, only gently. Steamers or special inserts for the cooking pot are best suited for this.

If you're otherwise interested in healthy eating, feel free to check out our Nutrition Blog over.

Fruits and vegetables healthy and indispensable!

You should know that fruits and vegetables are healthy. Today you have learned why this is so. Accordingly, most of our diet should consist of a combination of fruits and vegetables. First, because fruits and vegetables are healthy and contain essential nutrients, and second, because fruits and vegetables have the least impact on our environment. Perhaps even the vegan life something for you. 🙂

When eating fruits and vegetables, make sure you have a good balance and take advantage of the variety of fruits and vegetables. Of course, everyone has their favorite fruit or vegetable, and you can eat a lot of them. Especially cabbage varieties are eaten by many people rather reluctantly, yet you can also make particularly delicious recipes with cabbage.

So much from me on why fruits and vegetables are healthy. Enjoy it!

All the best,

P.S.: In the Natural Health Blog there are other tips for a healthy and natural lifestyle in addition to the best nutrition tips.