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| home : how we can help : prevention, screening, & diagnostics : answers to cancer : diet & nutrition
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Research findings clearly demonstrate that people who eat diets which are abundant in fruits and vegetables have a lower risk for some cancers. Fruits and vegetables and whole grains are not only low in fat and calories, they are high in vitamins, minerals and fiber. Most of the calories in your diet should come from fruits, vegetables, and grain products.
- Eat 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily.
- A serving of fruit is equal to
1 small to medium piece of fruit
1/2 cup of cut fruit
3/4 cup of fruit juice
1/4 cup dried fruit
- A serving of vegetables is equal to
1/2 cup raw or cooked vegetable
1 cup of raw leafy vegetable (such as lettuce or spinach)
1/2 cup of cooked beans or peas (such as lentils, pinto beans, black-eyed peas, chickpeas, split peas, kidney beans, or soybeans)
- Eat at least 6 or more servings daily of bread, cereal, rice, or pasta. Choose more frequently foods made with 100% whole grains and whole-grain flours, such as wheat, corn, rye, oats, and their brans. Also try whole grains such as brown rice, barley, oats, kasha, cracked wheat, quinoa, millet and bulgar.
- A serving of a grain food is equal to
1 slice of whole grain bread
1 whole grain muffin or roll
1/2 whole-grain bagel
1/2 cup whole-grain cereal
1/2 cup brown rice or whole-grain pasta
TIP: Look for products with several grams of fiber per serving.
TIP: Use whole wheat bread and flour to get the most fiber in your diet. To get used to whole wheat flour, start by using 1/2 white and 1/2 whole wheat flour in recipes.
TIP: Choose the widest assortment of colors in your fruits and vegetables that you eat daily. The different colors come from different vitamins. These vitamins can work together to prevent cancer.
TIP: Try to include whole fruits and vegetables; juice is good, but you miss out on the fiber and the filling effect of fruits and vegetables.
TIP: Add extra vegetables to casseroles and ready-made soups.
TIP: Add beans to salads and soup for protein and fiber.
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