Small Shifts: Add More Fruits and Vegetables

Pennington Biomedical Research Center announces the June Small Shifts campaign focus is adding more fruits and vegetables to diets. This month’s shift encourages individuals and families to make simple, sustainable changes that can lead to lasting improvements in overall health and wellness.

Fruits and vegetables are rich in essential nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants that support energy, mood, and immune function. By incorporating more of these nutrient-packed powerhouses into daily meals and snacks, people can make a big impact with just a small shift. Whether it's adding a handful of berries to breakfast, snacking on carrot sticks, or incorporating a side salad into a lunch, small changes can lead to big benefits.

Here are a few easy ways to start adding more fruits and vegetables now:

• Smoothie Boost: Start the day with a vibrant fruit and veggie smoothie. Try blending spinach, banana, and berries for a delicious and nutritious kick-start to your morning.
• Snack Smart: Keep sliced veggies like carrots, cucumbers, and bell peppers on hand for quick, healthy snacks.
• Mealtime Makeover: Add an extra serving of vegetables to meals. Stir fresh or frozen veggies into soups, stews, and pasta dishes.
• Fruit First: Swap out a usual dessert for a piece of fruit or a fruit salad.

Pennington Biomedical encourages the public to join the movement by sharing their own fruit-and-veggie-inspired creations on social media using the following hashtag: #SmallShifts.

To learn more about the campaign and get additional tips, visit: https://www.pbrc.edu/smallshifts.

About the Pennington Biomedical Research Center

The Pennington Biomedical Research Center is at the forefront of medical discovery as it relates to understanding the triggers of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and dementia. Pennington Biomedical has the vision to lead the world in promoting metabolic health and eliminating metabolic disease through scientific discoveries that create solutions from cells to society. The center conducts basic, clinical, and population research, and is a campus in the LSU System.

The research enterprise at Pennington Biomedical includes over 600 employees within a network of 44 clinics and research laboratories, and 16 highly specialized core service facilities. Its scientists and physician/scientists are supported by research trainees, lab technicians, nurses, dietitians, and other support personnel. Pennington Biomedical is a globally recognized state-of-the-art research institution in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

For more information, see www.pbrc.edu.