Mother Nature is so smart! Each year I’m reminded how sweet her wisdom is to color fruits and vegetables just so we humans can easily choose the most nutritious of her offerings.

Visit your local grocery story to find all the colors of the rainbow right there in the produce aisle. Keep it natural: when you see a package labeled “fruit flavored,” ignore it. Run, don’t walk, and buy some fresh fruits and vegetables. That’s where you’ll find the best nutrition.

For more than 100 years, researchers have studied and tested, analyzed and inspected fruits and vegetables. They’ve proven decisively that fruits and vegetables contain unique substances: antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals that protect us from disease and promote good health.

Because most fruits and vegetables are virtually fat free, they are the perfect food for those trying to lose weight. Also, people who eat plenty of fruits and vegetables maintain their weight loss more successfully.

Recent recommendations for getting enough water into your daily diet advise that including fruits and vegetables can help you meet daily fluid requirements. That’s because most are full of water.

Finally, even those vegetables that contain fat, including avocados and olives, offer heart-healthy monounsaturated fat.

The Experts Tell Us

The USDA’s Dietary Guidelines has upped the recommendations for fruits and vegetables. The old guidelines called for 3-4 servings of veggies and 2-4 of fruit, but most consumers didn’t understand what a serving of fruit or vegetable looks like.

The new recommendations are easier, and more specific. For the average 2,000 calorie a day diet, eat at least 4 1/2 cups of fruits and veggies daily, more or less depending upon your individual needs.

For those watching their weight, most nutritionists agree: eat as much as you want of crunchy vegetables. Snack away on salad greens, peppers, cucumbers, celery and even carrots. These vegetables are fine sources of fiber and so low in calories that you can virtually eat all you like without interfering with your weight loss or maintenance.