Quick Tips: Adding Fruits and Vegetables to Your Diet
Getting Started
Eating more fruits and vegetables is a great way to improve your nutrition. These tips can help you get started.
- Make it easy.
- Keep a bowl of fruit within easy reach at home and at work so that you can grab a piece of fruit when you're hungry.
- Buy packaged, ready-to-eat fresh vegetables and fruits. These cut down on preparation time.
- Use the microwave to quickly cook vegetables.
- Keep dried fruit on hand for a snack that is easy to take with you when you're away from home.
- Be creative.
- Mix sliced fruit or frozen berries with yogurt or cereal.
- Add apple chunks, pineapple, grapes, or raisins to tuna or chicken salad.
- Make fruit smoothies by blending together fresh or frozen fruit, fruit juice, and yogurt.
- Add dried or fresh fruit to oatmeal, pancakes, and waffles.
- Add colorful vegetables, such as red cabbage, carrots, and bell peppers, to green salads.
- Top salads with dried cranberries or raisins or with sliced pears, oranges, nectarines, strawberries, or grapefruit.
- Add extra vegetables to pasta sauces and soups. Try grated zucchini or carrots, spinach, kale, and bell peppers.
- Add vegetables to sandwiches. Lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, and avocado slices are flavorful choices.
- Pump up the flavor.
- Dip raw vegetables in low-fat salad dressing, hummus, or peanut butter.
- Toss raw or cooked broccoli and cauliflower with low-fat Italian dressing and Parmesan cheese to make a flavorful side dish.
- Roast vegetables and fruits to bring out their flavor. Just drizzle them with a small amount of olive oil, and bake until tender.
- Season cooked vegetables with lemon juice and a small amount of olive oil. For extra flavor, add fresh herbs such as basil, tarragon, and sage.
- Try baked apples or pears topped with cinnamon and honey for a delicious dessert.
Credits
Current as of: October 7, 2024
Current as of: October 7, 2024