Adding More Fruits and Vegetables to Your Diet

When it comes to eating the recommended five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day, most of us are guilty of not getting the required amount.  Whether it is a matter of inconvenience, forgetfulness or just a flat out dislike of them, most Americans only get one and a half servings of vegetables (mostly from starchy potatoes) and one serving of fruit a day.  This is rather appalling because fruits and vegetables provide lots of vitamins, minerals and fiber necessary in the diet.  The antioxidants found in produce do amazing things such as ward off cancer, slow aging and give a person a rosy complexion.

If you haven’t gotten into the good habit of eating your 5 to 9, here are some suggestions to help you do so:

• Remember that color equals variety. Shoot for getting blue, red, yellow/orange, white and green fruits and vegetables.
• When making your menu for the week, make a goal to try one new vegetable dish each week. This way you can experiment with different ingredient combinations and add exciting recipes to your file.
• Add more vegetables to your staple dishes. Pack your marinara with diced tomatoes, mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, garlic, and even grated carrots. Make your burgers more interesting by adding grilled pineapple, red onions, peppers, romaine lettuce, avocado and tomatoes. Toss in spinach, tomatoes and carrots with taco meat.
• Replace iceberg lettuce with dark, leafy greens like spinach, romaine, arugula, collard greens, mustard greens and kale.
• Make a tasty wrap by mixing spinach, chicken, tomatoes, garlic, thinly sliced cucumbers and ranch to a multi-grain tortilla.
• Add a salad to your dinner. Arugula and spinach are great mixed with your favorite vegetables, nuts and fruit.
• Steamed vegetables are easy to make and retain many nutrients normally lost to boiling or other forms cooking. Place vegetables in a plastic storage container and fill the container with ¼ inch of water. Microwave for 3-4 minutes (more or less depending on the amount and hardness of the vegetable).
• Try celery sticks with Neufchatel cheese (like cream cheese but with 1/3 less fat) or flavored cream cheeses like salmon, strawberry, honey nut or garden vegetable.
• Make or buy hummus (chickpea spread) and dip with vegetables like cucumbers, celery, carrots, spinach, mushrooms or snow peas.
• Adding cheese to fruit makes an enjoyable snack. Try apples with cheddar, mozzarella or string cheese.
• Top desserts with berries and other fruits. Some delicious combinations are mangoes with vanilla ice cream, raspberries on brownie sundaes or strawberries over pie.