If we here at That's Fit haven't yet convinced you to eat your fruits and veggies, here's one more reason. A recent study found that people who eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables are less likely to suffer a stroke.

Researchers found that people who eat plant foods on a regular basis have higher levels of vitamin C in their bodies. They also discovered that people with higher levels of vitamin C had a lower risk of stroke. So the connection was made that eating a diet rich in plant foods protects the cardiovascular system, which lowers the risk of stroke, even though researchers couldn't say exactly what the connection is.

Interestingly, taking vitamin C supplements doesn't have a protective effect. Instead, experts recommend eating a rainbow of plant foods every day.

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During the growing season, my local farmer's market has fantastic prices on fruits and vegetables. I could walk in there once a week with $20 in hand and walk out with a week's worth of produce for my family of four. Each booth also carried the familiar yellow sign that indicated they accepted the state vouchers that are handed out to those on government assistance. It's all very feel good -- even the poor can eat nutritiously, right? It seemed that way to me, until I realized that the farmer's market is only open Thursdays, from 12-4. Those hours that make it nearly impossible for any working person without a decent lunch break to try and shop, and since the market isn't near the city's center, they'd also need reliable transportation to get there.

According to this article from HealthDay, the cost and availability of fruits and vegetables -- especially in rural areas -- are putting them farther out of reach for many Americans. To meet the ADA's guidelines of 5 to 9 servings of fruit and vegetables a day, a family of four would have to spend 40-70% of their food budget on produce. And that's if they can find a store that carries produce in their area.

Nutritional experts say that a higher allocation of food stamps and more farmer's markets in poor and rural areas would help families in need choose better quality foods. What do you think?

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Are you looking for a fun and educational way to get your kids to eat more fruits and vegetables? Try working your way through the alphabet! Starting with "A is for apple" will get you off on a tasty and familiar foot (and familiar is usually good when kids are concerned), but get ready to get creative. Ediets has an alphabetical list of ideas for each letter, including iceberg lettuce for "i" and an ugli fruit for "u." Don't forget to teach kids special nutritional facts about each fruit or vegetable, or give the job of looking up those facts to an older child who can teach everyone about the new food as you try it.

Keep in mind that no one wins when kids are forced to eat something they don't want to. Keep it light and fun, and your child may just add a whole alphabet of new and healthy tastes to their palate!

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Ninety percent of Americans don't eat their quota of fruits and vegetables each day, despite knowing how many servings they should be eating. Hoping to spur us all into action, the CDC has kicked off their Fruits and Vegetables More Matters campaign. Parents can visit the website to learn new and interesting ways to sneak produce into their meals, and teachers can download free teaching materials for their classroom.

Are you getting in your fruits and veggies every day? If not, this might be a good time to check the CDC's new website out!

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If you always leave the house with an apple (or another portable fruit that you like), you'll drastically reduce your chances of filling your belly at the vending machine when you get hungry and you'll add one serving of fruit to your day. Because we all need 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, a little planning ahead is required to make sure we don't replace those servings with convenience foods instead. Check out this list of 10 secrets to getting in your fruits and veggies, including my favorites:

• Never skip a meal, and always include one to two fruits and vegetables each time you sit and eat.
• Stock up! Portion sizes are an issue in overeating, but when it comes to veggies, piling them on adds vitamins and minerals and leaves less room on your plate for less nutritious options.
• Frozen and canned produce can be a nutritious alternative to freshly picked versions.
• Spice it up and use garlic, ginger, nutmeg, or cinnamon to bring out the flavor of your favorite plant foods.

Though 10 servings sounds like a lot, keep in mind that an adult serving is equal to a medium sized whole fruit or veggie, 1/2 cup chopped or cooked, 1/2 cup of juice, or a handful of dried fruit.

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Are you looking for ways to get more fruit and vegetables in your diet? Take a minute to check out the CDC's Fruit and Vegetable of the Month. Each month one new fruit and one new vegetable is featured and included nutritional information as well as helpful recipes. For August, the CDC recommended celery, fennel, and cactus, and in September they'll celebrate chili peppers and figs.

Though the CDC appears to have paid some attention to seasonal harvests -- green onions in March and root vegetables in December, for instance -- not much priority seems to have been placed fresh, local fare. If you decide to use CDC as your guide, feel free to substitute with fresh goodies from your local farm market.

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