Vary your Veggies 

Variety between and within food groups is important to get all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients your body needs without a supplement. The old myth – take a multivitamin and mineral supplement for insurance – is not the case anymore. The American Dietetic Association and American Heart Association agree that all vitamin and mineral requirements can be met through the food you eat and thus vitamin and mineral supplements, such as a multi or One-A-Day are not needed for the average individual.

Out with the old, in with the new.

To make sure you get all the nutrients you need from food, diversify! No, not your financial assets! Eating a wide variety of foods within all the food groups - grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, meat and beans, and oils - will not only provide the vitamin, mineral, protein, complex carbohydrates and essential fatty acids you need, you will also reap the health benefits from naturally occurring nutrients not found in a pill, such as antioxidants and flavonoids. The USDA Dietary Guidelines stress variety to meet all nutrient needs.

Tips to increase variety in the diet:

• The Dietary Guidelines recommend including dark green and orange vegetables in the diet, which are rich in heart-healthy minerals such as potassium, calcium and magnesium. Aim for about 5 cups a week of the dark green and orange vegetables to meet the guidelines. In addition to other veggies, like cauliflower, cucumbers, and tomatoes, try kale, romaine lettuce, spinach, collard greens, broccoli, sweet potatoes, carrots or butternut squash.

• Choose a variety of fruits; go outside your comfort zone and aim to try 1 new fruit a week – do the same with vegetables.

• For grains, make at least ½ the grains you eat whole on a daily basis. This might include whole wheat bread, pasta or crackers, brown rice, or oatmeal. Try new whole grains such as quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat or millet.

• Choose to eat healthful fats, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated instead of saturated and trans fatty acids. These healthy fats are found in almonds, walnuts, olive oil and fish to vary your fat and oil intake.

Including more variety in the diet keeps mealtime fun, interesting, provides healthy nutrients and saves you money from buying unnecessary supplements!