Feeding and Diet

Unless you've lived in a cave for the past few years, you're probably already aware of the many health benefits of fruits and vegetables. Despite this, few Americans are getting the five or more daily servings of plant based foods recommended by the American Cancer Society. In fact, many people get less than two servings of fruits and vegetables per day. The reasons many Americans give for the lack of fruits and vegetables in their diet is lack of time to prepare them, the expense of buying them, and the fact that they don't like the taste. With fresh fruits and vegetables, there's also the issue of the limited shelf life. If these factors play a role in why you aren't eating more fruits and vegetables, you may have another option for getting the extra nutritional punch that only plant based foods can offer.

Several innovative companies are now offering the antioxidant power of fruits and vegetables in an easier to eat format. Instead of chopping up fresh produce and going through the labor intensive process of getting it on the table, you can have fruits and vegetables in a convenient powder form. It's all a part of the functional food movement where manufacturers are adding additional nutritional value to conventional foods and finding easier ways for you to eat the nutritious foods that are already out there. If you want to eat more fruits and vegetables, this may be your answer.

How are the fruit and vegetable powders prepared? Companies are using a special low temperature drying process that allows them to preserve fruits and vegetables with all of their nutrients and phytochemicals still intact. Others are using a freeze drying process to get a similar result. Once in a dried form, the produce can be ground into a fine powder which can be conveniently added to recipes and sprinkled on prepared foods of all types without mess or lengthy preparation times. The range of fruit and vegetable powders being offered is expanding and include such healthy choices as organic spinach powder, organic kale powder, carrot powder, and broccoli powder. In the fruit department, you can find such offerings as cranberry powder, blueberry powder, strawberry powder, and even the more exotic superfruits such as pomegranate and Goji berries in powder form.

If you want to eat more fruits and vegetables, how can you use these fruit and vegetable powders? They can be conveniently sprinkled onto salads, added to sauces, and salad dressings, mixed into yogurt, or stirred into soups, stews, and hot cereals. If you're eager to have your children eat more fruits and vegetables, these powders are a great way to "hide" the healthy stuff. The next time your child begs for ice cream, sprinkle a little blueberry powder on top and you can be assured that he's getting a nutritious dose of anthocyanins. The best part? He'll never know he's eating something healthy.

Although these powders may not be widely available in mainstream grocery stores, some health food stores carry them and they're available from various companies on the internet. They're a great way to eat more fruits and vegetables without all the fuss of cooking them yourself.