15 Ways to Enjoy More Fruits and Vegetables - Joanna Kleckner DDS

Building a healthy plate is easy when you make half of your plate fruits and vegetables. It’s also a great way to add color, flavor, and texture. Vitamins, minerals, and fiber are packed in fruits and vegetables that are low in calories and fat. Make 2 cups of fruit and 2 ½ cups of vegetables your daily goal. Try the following tips to enjoy more fruits and vegetables every day.

1. Choices are endless when using vegetables as pizza toppings! Try broccoli, spinach, green peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, and zucchini.
2. Mix up a breakfast smoothie made with low-fat milk and frozen fruit.
3. Make a veggie wrap with roasted vegetables and low-fat cheese rolled in a whole-wheat tortilla.
4. Try crunchy vegetables instead of chips with your favorite low-fat salad dressing for dipping.
5. Grill colorful vegetable kabobs packed with tomatoes, green and red peppers, mushrooms and onions.
6. Keep cut vegetables handy for mid-afternoon snacks, side dishes, lunch box additions or a quick nibble while waiting for dinner. Ready-to-eat favorites include red, green or yellow peppers, broccoli or cauliflower florets, carrots, celery sticks, cucumbers, snap peas or whole radishes.
7. Place colorful fruit where everyone can easily grab something for a snack-on-the-run. Keep a bowl of fresh, just ripe whole fruit in the center of your kitchen or dining table.
8. Get saucy with fruit. Puree apples, berries, peaches or pears in a blender for a thick, sweet sauce on grilled or broiled seafood or poultry, or on pancakes, french toast or waffles.
9. Stuff an omelet with vegetables. Turn any omelet into a hearty meal with broccoli, squash, carrots, peppers, tomatoes or onions with low-fat cheese.
10. “Sandwich” in fruits and vegetables. Add pizzazz to sandwiches with sliced pineapple, apple, peppers, cucumber and tomato as fillings.
11. Wake up to fruit. Make a habit of adding fruit to your morning oatmeal, ready-to-eat cereal, yogurt or waffle.
12. Top a baked potato with beans and salsa or broccoli and low-fat cheese.
13. Make fruit your dessert: Slice a banana lengthwise and top with a scoop of low-fat frozen yogurt. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of chopped nuts.
14. Stock your freezer with frozen vegetables to steam or stir-fry for a quick side dish.
15. Fruit on the grill: Make kabobs with pineapple, peaches, and banana. Grill on low heat until fruit is hot and slightly golden.