Nutrition research has determined that eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day translates to good health for adults and children.

"There are so many studies that show, with a variety of fruits and vegetables, we can meet many of the basic nutrition requirements needed for good health," said Sandy Procter, K State Research and Extension nutritionist. "Instead of supplementing a diet with vitamins, a person can get that same nutritional value by eating a variety of fruits and vegetables in optimal quantities."

Procter offered these tips to achieve five servings every day: * Check your serving size.

"We are not real accurate in our estimates of serving sizes, whether it is french fries or salad," Procter said. "We have a tendency to underestimate how much we eat of high fat foods and entrees. For example, a plate of spaghetti at a restaurant may be offered as one serving, but it's probably more like three or four.

"In contrast, however, we tend to overestimate how many servings of fruits and vegetables we eat. A large banana counts as two fruit servings, and an entree salad may contain three or four servings of fruits or vegetables."

• Prepare fruits and vegetable snacks.

  "By offering fresh or canned fruit or crunchy vegetable pieces, parents can help their family's nutrition by helping them achieve the five-a-day goal," Procter said.

• Add fruits or vegetables to foods.

  "Instead of syrup on pancakes, offer applesauce or strawberries. Add a few frozen peas in pasta dishes," Procter said. "Not only will the colors, flavors and textures of these foods make family meals inviting and tasty, but we are just starting to understand the health benefits from adding more fruits and vegetables to our diets."

Procter said that eating healthy and getting at least two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables each day can improve not only health, but also quality of life.

"Everyone that gives thought to their health, well-being and weight knows the importance of balancing what we eat with the amount of activity we do," she said. "It's not so much a question of survival, but rather of quality of life. By eating healthy and staying active, we should be able to stay healthy and do the things we want to do for a longer time."

K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.

For more information: Sandy Procter is at 785-532-1675