What to Eat For the most part, any fruit or vegetable will do in helping consumers reach their 5 A Day goal. But certain types of fruits and vegetables should be selected regularly because of their nutritional value. These include those that are good sources of vitamins A and C and fiber. Variety also is important because fruits and vegetables provide other nutrients, such as folate, potassium, calcium, and iron. Varying choices increases the likelihood of getting all the nutritional advantages of fruits and vegetables.
Preparation presents another nutritional concern.
A Label with a Lot You can determine the nutritional value of fruits and vegetables by looking at the Nutrition Facts panel on the side or back of labels of frozen and canned items. This information may appear on the labels of packaged fresh fruits and vegetables or on posters or brochures at or near the point of purchase. The nutrition information lists the kinds and amounts of important nutrients in a serving of the fruit or vegetable and gives the Percent Daily Value, which shows how much those amounts contribute to the daily diet. Some labels will carry additional information, such as the amount of folic acid and iron, depending on the types of label claims made. These claims refer to the contents of one serving of the item.