Fresh Fruits, Vegetables Are Vital for Supporting Service Member Health, Performance

Fresh Fruits, Vegetables Are Vital for Supporting Service Member Health, Performance

Did you know that June is Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Month? It's the perfect time to start focusing on the many benefits they bring when added to your diet.

According to the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, individuals should include more fruits and vegetables in their daily diet by aiming to eat 1.5- to 2-cups-equivalent of fruits and 2- to 3-cups-equivalent of vegetables each day. Follow this "handy" guide to portion size.

Aim to include more fruits and vegetables in daily meals, at least 1.5- to 2-cup-esquivalents of fruits and 2- to 3-cups-equivalents of vegetables each day. This guide offers a quick handy way to estimate your portion sizes. (Defense Health Agency Public Health graphic illustration by Rachel Stershic)

"Fruits and vegetables are nutritious, can be filling, provide your body with many important nutrients, as well as fiber, and often are a significant source of fluid," said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Heidi Clark, a registered dietitian for the Surgeon General's Associate Corps Chief for Dietetics. However, despite the various benefits of reaching intake goals, service members may be unaware of the ways fruits and vegetables can promote health. They may also find it challenging to fit the recommended number of fruits and vegetables into their daily food intake.

In celebration of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Month, Defense Health Agency Public Health interviewed seven nutrition experts from around the Department of Defense to collect some facts about the importance of fruits and vegetables in the diet. They also shared ideas about how both service members and civilians can incorporate more of them into their daily meals.

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Saunya Bright, a registered dietitian for the Office of the Air Force Surgeon General, highlighted how eating more fruits and vegetables is a great way to help maintain a healthy body weight and meet needs for many dietary vitamins and minerals.

"Vegetables are low in fat and calories and are rich in nutrients, including vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, potassium, and fiber," said Bright. "In fact, the vegetable and fruit food groups are the two lowest calorie food groups and the most nutrient dense."

Bright said fruits and vegetables give you the most bang for your nutritional buck.

"It's worth making the effort to include more of them into your regular eating plan," said Bright. "Fruits are super easy to add. Most of them don't need to be cooked, so you just have to wash them or peel them and eat them."

"Eating them is key, though," says Jennifer Meeks, a public health nutritionist with Defense Health Agency Public Health in Portsmouth, Virginia. "Don't just buy them and let them rot in the bottom drawer of your fridge."

This may be particularly important for service members, as a 2015 study published by the National Library of Medicine suggested that approximately one-quarter of soldiers in the study failed to meet U.S. Army body composition standards, while more than half failed to meet the daily required intake of several important vitamins and minerals, also called micronutrients.

"Soldiers often seek advice on the appropriate carbohydrates, fats, and proteins) but often don't consider their consumption of micronutrients throughout the day," says U.S. Army Capt. Stephanie Meno, a registered dietitian and nutrition domain lead with Army Holistic Health and Fitness.

Bright said an easy way to ensure the need for these micronutrients is being met is to eat a variety of whole fruits and vegetables daily.

"Eat a 'rainbow' of color variety by incorporating dark green, red, and orange vegetables," said Bright.

Meeks said meal planning can ensure you're getting the right mix with every course.

"Meal planning should also include planning out your vegetable side items," said Meeks. "Don't just stop with the main course; there's room for an extra serving of vegetables at almost every meal."

Clark said an easy way to accomplish this is by using the USDA MyPlate model, which recommends half of each meal plate consist of fruits and vegetables.

"Envision your dinner plate and half of that plate made up of a salad with spinach, tomatoes, and carrots next to a small pile of berries," said Clark. "Or try a plate half full of bright stir-fried carrots, spring peas, broccoli and bok choy. It's a colorful plate and a healthy plate!"

In addition to helping service members manage their weight and meet dietary needs for important vitamins and minerals, fruits and vegetables can also support physical activity and training.

"One easy way to incorporate additional servings of fruit each day is by including them in pre-, during- and post-workout meals and snacks," said Meno. "Fresh, dried, and pureed fruits are great sources of carbohydrate to fuel and recover from activity. They are also often less expensive and more accessible than sports gels."

A 2019 review published in the Journal of Physiology suggests carbohydrates, plentiful in starchy fruits like apples and bananas, are important fuel for muscles. The journal also stated that carbohydrates need to be replenished after physical training and even possibly during long-lasting bouts of physical activity. The sugar found in fruits, called fructose, can be an effective way to provide extra carbohydrate to muscles.

Additionally, the various nutrients and beneficial chemical compounds commonly contained in fruits can even help to minimize muscle damage resulting from strenuous activity when consumed as a post-workout snack, as described in a 2021 review of 25 studies, published in the European Journal of Sport Science.

"Fruits and vegetables are high in antioxidants," said U.S. Army Maj. Brigette Schoonover, a registered dietitian and director of the performance nutrition program for the 82nd Airborne Division Sustainment Brigade. "Antioxidants help the body combat the demanding effects of oxidative stress that happens through physical activity. Eat a variety of dark colored fruits and vegetables, such as kale, spinach, collard or mustard greens, beets, berries, carrots and sweet potatoes, to support performance and recovery."

Christi Logan, a registered dietitian and human performance advisor with U.S. Special Operations Command Preservation of the Force and Family, agreed.

"Consumption of a variety of deeply colored fruits and vegetables mitigates inflammation and metabolic strain stemming from operational and environmental burdens service members endure daily," said Logan.

Eating certain types of fruit can also contribute to a better night's sleep, which can promote improved performance and mood, and it makes for a healthy snack before bedtime. Schoonover recommends adding 4 to 6 ounces of tart cherry juice or a cherry yogurt parfait one to two hours before bed.

"Research suggests tart cherry may lead to better and longer sleep, as it naturally contains the sleep promoting compounds tryptophan and melatonin," says Schoonover. "Plus, its high antioxidant content aids recovery and may reduce muscle soreness from intense physical activity. When choosing products, look for the words 'tart,' 'sour' or 'Montmorency cherry.' Enjoy the juice or make a yogurt parfait with frozen or dried tart cherries and Greek yogurt."

Finally, fruits and vegetables are powerful allies in the prevention of cancer and other diseases like heart and cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

"Research has shown that fruits and vegetables are a major source of nutrients, and they are linked to lowering our risk of chronic diseases and protecting against certain types of cancer," said Bright. "Given that obesity is an important risk factor for the development of chronic or long-term diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure, all of which can become lifelong, eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables can go a long way towards helping to manage weight and ensure adequate micronutrient status-both of which can lower the risk for these types of diseases."

In fact, a 2018 study of U.S. service members published in BMC Public Health reported that service members who had healthy diet patterns, including higher amounts of fruits and vegetables, were less likely to have a medically diagnosed health condition like high blood pressure or diabetes. And while many younger service members may not even be thinking right now about their risk for cancer, it is never too early to lower the risk for future cancers.

A 2017 review published in the International Journal of Epidemiology examined 95 research studies and concluded that diets rich in fruits and vegetables, particularly green-yellow vegetables and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower, significantly lowered cancer risk.

"I was on the World Cancer Research Fund and discovered their summary of evidence linking diet to various kinds of cancer," says Clark. "Even as an experienced nutrition professional, I was amazed at the ties between diet and cancer risk. There is global evidence that diets rich in nonstarchy vegetables, foods containing dietary fiber (like fruits and vegetables), foods containing vitamin C and vitamin A (like fruits and vegetables) all are tied to reduced cancer risk."

Joanna Reagan, a public health nutritionist with DHA Public Health in Aberdeen, Maryland, recommends signing up for a local Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, program or purchasing produce from your local farmers' market for easy access to seasonal fruits and vegetables.

"CSA is a great way for you to buy local, seasonal produce direct from a farmer in your community," says Reagan. "Typically, you pick up your food 'share' at a convenient drop-off location in your neighborhood. Produce items vary according to the season. You can get strawberries and sugar snap peas in the spring and watermelon and bell peppers in the summer. It might expand your variety of produce items and helps to promote local produce. Some programs will even deliver directly to your doorstep."

Meeks shared more tips to help get fruits and vegetables on to your plate, including:

• Keep it simple and don't overcomplicate things.
  • A serving of fruits and vegetables is about the size of your fist. Try to add a fistful of fruits or vegetables at every meal.
  • For individuals who worry about fresh fruits and vegetables going bad before they can be eaten or about the time needed to prepare vegetables at each meal, frozen vegetables (single ingredient, no sauces) and fruits are terrific things to have on hand. These are picked and frozen when they are in season and can easily be added to any meals.
  • If you hate chopping vegetables, buy them frozen and already chopped.
• • There are ways to mask the taste of leafy green vegetables that don't diminish their benefits.
  • From the produce section, have a jumbo box of fresh baby spinach in your fridge. This lets you have a nice base for any salad you might want to add. Alternatively, you can grab a few handfuls of fresh spinach and throw it into any sauce or soup you're heating on the stovetop. Cooked spinach wilts and shrinks quickly, so you won't even taste it, but you get the benefit of an extra serving of dark green veggies.

To summarize, a diet high in fruits and vegetables has numerous health and performance benefits for service members and civilians. For more tips and tricks for incorporating fruits and vegetables into your day, visit HPRC Online for performance nutrition resources.

The Defense Health Agency supports our Nation by improving health and building readiness-making extraordinary experiences ordinary and exceptional outcomes routine.

NOTE: The mention of any non-federal entity and/or its products is for informational purposes only, and not to be construed or interpreted, in any manner, as federal endorsement of that non-federal entity or its products.