A healthy diet might include only a subset of fresh fruits and vegetables. A healthy diet could conceivably be composed of fresh fruits and vegetables that are not partially or fully prepared.

Fruits and vegetables should be included in every meal and as many snacks as possible. Vegetables and fruits provide excellent sources of nutrients, such as protein, vitamins, minerals and fibre, as well as non-nutrient phytochemicals such as sulphur-containing compounds.

The non-nutrient phytochemicals may contribute to the normal functioning of the human body.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away

A diet rich in fruits and vegetables and low in fat, is associated with reduced risk for heart disease, high blood pressure stroke, cancer and diabetes.

People whose diets are rich in fruits and vegetables have a lower risk of getting cancers of lungs, mouth, pharynx, oesophagus, stomach, colon and rectum.

They are also less likely to get cancers of the breast, pancreas, larynx and bladder.

Vegetables are rich in valuable nutritional components that vary with the plant species, but no single species contains all the required nutrients.

Therefore, consumption of variety of vegetables and fruits is important since nutrients act together with optimal levels of several nutrients being required to be functional.
Healthy diet with fruits and vegetables