Men Need More Fruits and Vegetables a Day
Last Updated: 01 Jan 2006

Do you know that men need to eat more fruits and vegetables than women?

The National 5 A Day program is encouraging men, who have greater health risks than women for some diseases, to shoot for nine servings of fruits and vegetables each day and women to aim for seven servings a day.

Fruits and vegetables contain many powerful and important nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, fiber and disease-fighting phytochemicals, and that helps reduce the risk of many cancers, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Why do men need more than women?

The recommended servings are greater for men because more than two-thirds of men are overweight or obese, and men have a higher death rate for certain diseases than women.

Those diseases include:

Cardiovascular disease (1 times greater)
Lung cancer (About two times as high)
Colorectal cancer (1 times greater)
Among Americans, at least 58 million have some form of cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure, and 8.2 million Americans have a history of cancer.

How much equals one serving?

cup fruit juice
1 medium banana
1 cup chopped or diced raw vegetables
1 medium apple
cup cooked vegetables
cup dried fruit
cup cooked beans or peas
One serving of fruit or vegetables should fit in the palm of your hand. It's a lot smaller than most people think.

How can you increase your intake of fruits and vegetables?

Have fresh fruit in the morning
Snack on fresh fruit throughout the day
Eat a big salad at lunch
Snack on raw vegetables with a healthful dip
Eat at least two vegetables with dinner
Add beans and peas to salads