Drink your fruits and vegetables?

Homemade smoothies are a simple, tasty way to add more of these nutrient-rich foods to your diet.

Image: © SelectStock/Getty Images

If you find it challenging to squeeze in at least a few servings each of vegetables and fruits every day, maybe you have the same question as one of our readers. He asked, "Is drinking V8 juice just as good as eating vegetables?"

Not quite, says Kathy McManus, director of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital. "Raw, fresh vegetables, either in a salad or as a snack, are your best bet for getting the most nutrients from these foods," she says. But vegetables in almost any form — cooked, frozen, canned, or juiced — are far better than no vegetables at all, she adds. Tossing a few handfuls of leafy greens or other veggies into a blender (along with your favorite fruits and other healthy additions) also can be an easy way to incorporate a wide variety of fresh produce into your diet.