Consumers should feel good about eating fruits and vegetables every day, not just for preventing diseases later in life.
The Produce for Better Health Foundation has made research on the short-term benefits of produce consumption a priority and has been working with retail dietitians to spread this message to consumers.
“They give you instant energy, instant gratification,” says Kerry Clifford, registered dietitian with Fresh Thyme Farmers Market, based in Downers Grove, IL. “When you eat avocados or berries instead of candy, you just feel so much better.”
Fellow registered dietitian Andrea Luttrell, who works for retailer Big Y in Springfield, MA, says she supports all forms of fruits and vegetables, not just fresh, because sometimes it’s more convenient to have juice or dried fruit.
Parents get extra satisfaction from feeding their kids healthier food. “You feel like you’re doing good for yourself and your family with produce,” she says.
Clifford agrees that both believe fruits and vegetables are well situated to be part of growing retail trends, such as value-added and home delivery.
“Retail delivery is great,” says Clifford. “Going to the store isn’t a barrier to eating better.”
Luttrell says it’s never been easier to eat healthier, with all the ways to access fruits and vegetables, and this is something she’s working on with consumers at the store level.
Clifford encourages consumers to buy fresh-cut fruits and vegetables for healthier snacking. “There’s so much innovation, it makes produce sexier,” she says. “Pre-cut veggie noodles are a great example.”
