Eat a Rainbow Every Day

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One of the biggest dieting mistakes, both for those who want to lose weight and those who want to control their weight, is not eating enough fruits and vegetables.

To lose weight, you must eat fewer calories than your body uses.

This doesn’t mean you have to eat less food. You can create lower-calorie versions of some of your favorite dishes by substituting low-calorie fruits and vegetables in place of higher-calorie ingredients. The water and fiber in fruits and vegetables will add volume to your dishes, so you can eat the same amount of food with fewer calories. Most fruits and vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories and are filling.

Breakfast

• Substitute veggies for one egg or half the cheese in your omelet. Veggies will add volume and flavor with fewer calories.
• Cut back the amount of cereal in your bowl for cut-up bananas, peaches, or strawberries. You can still eat a full bowl, but with fewer calories.

Lunch

• Substitute veggies for 2 oz. of the cheese and 2 oz. of the meat in your sandwich or wrap. This will fill you up with fewer calories.
• Add a cup of chopped veggies in place of 2 oz. of meat or 1 cup of noodles in your broth-based soup. Veggies will help fill you up, so you won’t miss those extra calories.

Dinner

• Add 1 cup of chopped veggies while removing 1 cup of rice or pasta in your favorite dish. It’ll be just as satisfying with fewer calories than the same amount of the original version.
• Veggies, fruit, and whole grains should take up the largest portion of your dinner plate. If they don’t, replace some of the meat, cheese, pasta, or rice with legumes and veggies. This reduces total calories in your meal without reducing the amount of food you eat.
• Use a normal- or small-size plate — not a platter. The total number of calories you eat counts, even if a good proportion of them come from fruits and veggies.

Snacks

Instead of a high-calorie snack from a vending machine, bring some cut-up vegetables or fruit from home. 

Remember: Substitution is the key.

If you start eating fruits and vegetables in addition to what you usually eat, you will add calories and may gain weight. The key is substitution.

Finally, all fruits and vegetables contain vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that may help prevent heart disease, cancer and other illnesses. Some of these nutrients are fiber, potassium, folate, and vitamins A and C. The best way to get all the various nutrients is to eat fruits and vegetables of many different colors, so eat from as many color groups as you can each day. To help you, here’s an Eat More Color infographic from the American Heart Association.