ideas for eating more fruits and veggies

Ideas for Eating More Fruits and Veggies

When slicing vegetables for dinner, cut up some extras and enjoy them the next day as snacks for at home or work.

Try something new, like a baked sweet potato! Prepare as you would a regular baked potato, slice open and sprinkle with ground cinnamon and nutmeg.

Give rice some colour and the benefit of a vegetable boost: Add thinly sliced carrots or small broccoli florets to boiling water before adding rice.

Stir frozen vegetables into soups or spaghetti sauce; cook for approximately 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the vegetable, before serving.

Add canned beans, rinsed and drained, to soups and stews. Use your favourite including white beans, black beans, chickpeas or kidney beans.

Liven up cauliflower or broccoli with some melted cheese. It's great tasting and a terrific way to boost your calcium intake. When buying broccoli, choose a bright green bunch without any yellow discoloration. Fresh broccoli will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

Stock your fridge with prepared vegetables - they're a great shortcut when it comes to making dinner. Add dried fruit, such as raisins or cranberries, to your cereal.

The simple truth is that when fruit is out in a bowl on the counter, it will get eaten!

Cut up bananas or strawberries and add to your favourite morning cereal or cup of yogurt.

Make veggies irresistible...all those great Kraft Salad Dressings aren't just for salads! Dip carrots, celery, snap peas, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes in someRanch, Catalina, Thousand Island, or any Kraft dressing that strike your fancy.

Throw some frozen veggies on top of a pizza and put it in the oven. Your favourite pizza now gives you a serving of vegetables too!

Drink 100% fruit juice - to cut the calories and sugar in half, dilute juice with equal amounts of water!

Try fruit as a dessert, such as berries, cantaloupe and kiwi - top it with LightCool Whip for some extra indulgence.

When choosing fruits and vegetables, keep in mind:

Oranges, strawberries, cantaloupe and kiwi are high in vitamin C, which can actually help increase iron absorption.

When shopping for zucchini, choose small zucchini, which will be younger, thinner skinned and more tender than the larger ones. Their skin should have a vibrant colour and be free of blemishes.

Many red and orange-coloured fruits and vegetables are rich in beta-carotene, a compound that can be converted to vitamin A by the body.

Bananas are a good source of potassium.

Generally, the deeper the green colour of lettuce and other greens, the more the nutrients. For example, choose romaine over iceberg lettuce.

When buying broccoli, choose a bright green bunch without any yellow discoloration. Fresh broccoli will last 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.