Principle 11: Think Produce First

Focus on fruits and vegetables first—with great diversity across all meals and snacks. Recognize that customers aren’t eating nearly enough produce—they should be filling half their plates. Menus should feature green leafy vegetables and a mix of colorful fruits and vegetables daily. Fruit is best consumed whole or cut, fresh and in season, or frozen and preserved without added sugar or salt.

Fruit juice often contains healthy micronutrients, but it also packs a large amount of fast-metabolizing sugar and should be limited to one small glass per day. Dried, unsweetened fruit is also a good choice; though it contains natural sugars, it also contains fiber, which can mitigate negative blood sugar response.