Client Connection

Rules of Thumb for Healthy Eating Part 1: Fruits & Vegetables

The excitement of the New Year has faded and, when it comes to diet and weight loss, so usually has motivation. If you aimed to lose weight or eat healthier this year, or if you’re just curious about what really constitutes a healthy, balanced “diet”, this blog series is for you.



What is a Balanced Diet?

A balanced diet supplies all of the nutrients you need for performance and healthy aging. Despite what the diet books lead you to believe, there are actually many dietary approaches that achieve “balance”, such as a mostly plantbased dietary pattern or a Mediterranean dietary pattern. Take note of the use of the term “dietary pattern” instead of “diet”. These are considered sustainable approaches to eating without extreme restriction or elimination. They aren’t flashy; they don’t over promise results or make claims that seem too good to be true. They are rules of thumb to help guide your approach to healthy eating.



Part 1: Fruits & Vegetables

Vegetables:
  • Eat a wide variety of different colored, nonstarchy vegetables. Vegetables get their color from the nutrients they contain (e.g., vitamins and phytochemicals). A different color means a different nutrient profile and, in turn, confers different health benefits.
  • Remember, all vegetables contain carbohydrates. You may have heard the terms “starchy” and “nonstarchy” vegetables. These titles simply refer to a type of carbohydrate found in certain vegetables, called starch. Starch is digested quicker than other types of carbohydrates, such as fiber. Because quickly digested carbohydrates can cause our blood sugar to spike and drop quicker than other carbohydrates (again, like fiber), try favoring nonstarchy vegetables (i.e., carrots, cucumbers, greens) when possible and reducing your portion size of starchy vegetables (i.e., potatoes, corn, peas) at meals.

Fruits:
  • Eat a variety of fruit and don’t worry about the sugar. Yes, fruits naturally contain sugar, however they also contain a lot of other nutrients that are critical for health. Moreover, fruit naturally contains a high amount of fiber, which helps regulate sugar absorption and maintain blood sugar levels. In contrast, fruit juices (even 100% fruit juice) have a high amount of sugar per volume with very little to no fiber (because it was all removed through the juicing process), which causes major spikes in blood sugar. Strive to eat whole fruit rather than drinking fruit juice.

 

Try this recipe which is loaded with fruits and vegetables!
 
Stay tuned for future blogs about how protein, fat, carbohydrates, dairy and beverages fit into a healthy, balanced dietary pattern.
  • Schultz Financial Group, Inc. (“SFG”) which is a registered investment adviser, drafted this blog post for its website and for the use of its clients or potential clients. Any other distribution of this blog post is strictly prohibited. Registration as an investment adviser is not an endorsement by securities regulators and does not imply that SFG has attained a certain level of skill, training, or ability. While the content presented is believed to be factual and up to date, it is based on information obtained from a variety of sources. SFG believes this information is reliable, however, it has not necessarily been independently verified. SFG does not guarantee the complete accuracy of all data in this blog post, and it should not be regarded as a complete analysis of the subjects discussed. All expressions of opinion reflect the judgment of SFG as of the date of publication and are subject to change. This blog post does not constitute personalized advice from SFG or its affiliated investment professionals, or a solicitation to execute specific securities transactions. SFG is not a law firm and does not intend for any content to be construed as legal advice. Readers should not use any of this content as the sole basis for any investment, financial planning, tax, legal or other decisions. Rather, SFG recommends that readers consult SFG and their other professional advisers (including their lawyers and accountants) and consider independent due diligence before implementing any of the options directly or indirectly referenced in this blog post. Past performance does not guarantee future results. All investment strategies have the potential for profit or loss, and different investments and types of investments involve varying degrees of risk. There can be no assurance that the future performance of any specific investment or investment strategy, including those undertaken or recommended by SFG, will be profitable or equal any historical performance level. Any index performance data directly or indirectly referenced in this blog post is based on data from the respective copyright holders, trademark holders, or publication/distribution right owners of each index. The indexes do not reflect the deduction of transaction fees, custodial charges, or management fees, which would decrease historical performance results. Indexes are unmanaged, and investors cannot invest directly in an index. Additional information about SFG, including its Form ADV Part 2A describing its services, fees, and applicable conflicts of interest and Form CRS is available upon request and at https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/108724.