Food and Health Communications

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15 Ways to More Fruits and Veggies

Best ways to eat more fruits and veggies:1. Have 1 cup of fruit or 100% fruit juice for breakfast.2. Take 1 cup of fruit for your mid-morning snack.3. Eat at least one cup of vegetables at lunch. This can be a salad or vegetable soup.4. Eat at least cup of vegetables for dinner.5. Make one vegetarian recipe each week; don’t be afraid to try new ones!6. Eat a salad at least once a day, every day.7. Keep frozen veggies on hand for quick side dishes and to throw in pasta or soup during the week.8. Start shopping in the produce section of the grocery store and build your meal ideas from what you find there.9. At least 1/3 of your grocery cart should be from the produce section when yo shop.10. Keep fresh and dried fruit on hand for grab and go snacks.11. Take fresh fruit with you every day for snacks.12. The next time you visit a fast-food restaurant, order a salad instead of fries.13. Make a delicious fruit dessert a couple times per week (see our fruit recipes in this issue).14. Make a veggie stir fry once each week and use a variety of fresh and frozen vegetables.15. When eating, fill 1/2 of your plate with fruits and vegetables. Best recipes:www.cookinglight.comwww.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.orgwww.foodandhealth.com Best time savers:•  Baby carrots•  Fresh salad mixes•  Grape tomatoes•  Cut slaw mix•  Frozen stir fry mix•  Frozen corn, peas, carrots, broccoli•  Frozen pepper strips•  Canned diced tomatoes•  Canned beans•  Dried pitted fruits•  Baking potatoes•  Sweet potatoes•  Grapes•  Apples•  Bananas•  Oranges•  PearsFor more information:Go to ChooseMyPlate.gov and check out the exact amount of fruits and vegetables you should be eating each day. Most people need to eat about 4.5 cups and do not get enough.Best ways to jazz it up:• With warm weather coming, freeze some grapes and sliced bananas - these make great keep-cool-snacking treats for everyone.• Instead of the same old boring iceberg lettuce, try some crispy fresh spinach, arugula or mixed greens on salads and sandwiches.• Put some fresh veggies on the grill whenever you decide to cook out.• Toss some fruit into your salad - you can use dried fruits like cranberries or fresh ones like berries, mangoes, peaches and pineapple.