Q:
I know I should eat better, but I work a ton and eating healthy is the first thing to go. I don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables since I eat out most of the time. Is there anything I can take that would help to make up some of what I’m missing?
A:
There are supplements which can replace some of the phytonutrients you’re missing from fruits and vegetables, though I would still encourage you to try to eat more produce. Apples, bananas, and bags of baby carrots are healthy snacks that travel well which can get you closer to the recommended “five a day”.
Nature’s Plus makes two products I think could help. The first is Fruitein, a drink mix that has concentrates from 110 different fruits and vegetables. It also has 13 grams of protein so it helps you to feel fuller, longer. It’s different from most shake mixes in that it’s meant to be mixed with water, so it’s a great drink mix to have at the office or on the go since it doesn’t require ingredients that need refrigeration. Nature’s Plus also has a supplement called Ultra Juice which is a tablet which contains the vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients found in fruits and vegetables.
Making green smoothies in the morning is another great way to increase the amount of fruits, veggies, and greens in your diet. If you google green smoothie recipes the results are neverending. Basically it’s mixing water (or milk or orange juice), spinach or kale, and a banana in a blender and drinking. There are tons of delicious variations. It might sound weird at first, but I know a number of people who are hooked on them. Here’s a site with some great recipe ideas.
Also, since you mentioned eating out, there are lots of vegetarian options at restaurants which will give you some heatlthier options. Plus, you can always request that extra vegetables be added to a dish. Hope that helps!