For years, we’ve heard we should eat five servings of fruits and vegetables every day, but not only do most people not get five servings a day (only one in 10 adults gets the recommended amount), but five servings is the minimum that is recommended for good health.
The folks at Produce for Better Health partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to create “Fruits & Veggies – More Matters,” a public health campaign that is replacing the 5-a-Day Program.
To get more fruits and vegetables in your diet, visit fruits andveggiesmorematters.org. for simple and quick recipes and ideas on incorporating fruits and veggies into meals and snacks.
Here are my top five ideas to get more fruits and vegetables into your diet:
Add a can of drained vegetables (mixed vegetables, green beans, sliced carrots, etc.) to a can of chicken noodle soup for a quick lunch. Heat in the microwave and enjoy.
Shred carrots, dice celery and chop mushrooms and add to marinara sauce to top spaghetti. Vegetables give the sauce a heartier texture and replace the need for ground beef. One night a week, serve a vegetable plate for dinner. Choose one starchy vegetable (baked white or sweet potato, corn or beans), one green vegetable (broccoli, asparagus, green beans, spinach) and one orange, red or yellow vegetable (zucchini or summer squash, carrots, stewed tomatoes, acorn squash). Lightly dust vegetables with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and serve with crusty cibatta.
When berries are in season, serve a dish of mixed fresh berries topped with light frozen whipped topping.
Add a half cup of frozen, thawed berries or slice a small banana on top of hot or cold cereal.
