News

Eating fruits and vegetables for a healthy diet

May 21, 2024

Eating more fruits and vegetables is an important part of a healthy diet, and variety is as important as quantity.

With help from the Health Foundation’s Healthy Eating Initiative, the Mustard Seeds Café —Amigo Healthy Eating and Garden program educates participants to incorporate fruits and vegetables into their daily diets. The program provides nutrition and cooking classes, identifies healthy portion control, and teaches children to grow produce through gardening classes in El Paso and Doña Ana Counties. The Amigo Garden also serves as a resource that provides fresh-grown produce for the free meals the Café serves in the community.

The Amigo Healthy Eating and Garden programs are free and available on a first-come, first-served basis, with an average of 20-30 participants per month.

“Because of my immune system deficiency, I know how vital it is to include fruit and vegetables in our meals. The nutrients and antioxidants in each will help our bodies fight off many diseases and maintain a healthy weight,” said Kathy, a Tuesday–committed volunteer at the Mustard Seed Café. “The variety of vegetables we prep for the weekly meals has changed my opinion about eating healthy. It’s not expensive, nor is it boring.”

Tips to eating more fruits and vegetables each day

• Keep fruits where you can see them. Place several ready-to-eat washed whole fruits in a bowl or store chopped colorful fruits in the refrigerator.
• Explore the produce aisle and choose something new. Variety and color are key to a healthy diet. Try to get at least one serving from each category: dark green leafy vegetables; yellow or orange fruits and vegetables; red fruits and vegetables; legumes (beans) and peas; and citrus fruits.
• Skip the potatoes. Choose other vegetables packed with different nutrients and more slowly digested carbohydrates.
• Make it a meal. Try cooking new recipes that include more vegetables. Salads, soups, and stir-fries are just a few ideas for increasing the number of tasty vegetables in your meals.

To learn more about the Health Foundation’s Healthy Eating Initiative, click here.