One More Fruit + One More Veggie = Healthy Two-morrow!

It’s no secret that fruits and vegetables are packed with vitamins and minerals, and can help to prevent diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Adding just one more fruit or vegetable to your day is a great first step to eating healthier, and is super easy!

Here are a few quick tips to get you started:

• Start simple by adding a snack! Fruits are conveniently packaged to travel well, so grab a piece of your favorite fruit and go. Vegetables such as carrots, broccoli and celery also travel well and can be eaten with healthy dips such as low fat dressing, peanut butter, or hummus. Cut up veggies ahead of time for a no hassle portable snack!

• Not a snack person? No problem! Add fruit or veggies as toppings to meals. For example, sandwiches, wraps, pizza, and pasta make a great foundation for the addition of your favorite vegetables such as tomato, onions, peppers, and spinach. Fruits can be added atop oatmeal, yogurt, cereal or low-fat frozen yogurt for an extra flavor bonus.

• Have picky family members? Try including fruits and veggies in family favorites. For example, add mushrooms and green peppers to meatloaf, squash and eggplant to lasagna, sweet potato and black beans to chili, broccoli to mac and cheese, or tomatoes and spinach to scrambled eggs. Chopped up veggies can add extra crunch to lunch favorites like tuna and chicken salad. You can add sliced banana or apples to the classic PB & J.

• Not camouflaged enough for those really picky eaters in your family? Smoothies and shakes are a great way to mix fruits and vegetables together for a delicious snack or on the go breakfast. Blending berries, bananas, peaches, or oranges with yogurt or low-fat milk is a great way to add fruit to your child’s day. Try mixing greens or carrots with apples, pineapples, or bananas then add yogurt or low-fat milk for a healthy drink. The combinations are endless, and you can mix and match ingredients.

The most important thing to remember about fruits and veggies is that all forms count. That means it doesn’t matter if you choose fresh, frozen, or canned produce, they all add to your daily intake of fruits and vegetables. Just remember, if you chose to purchase canned varieties, be sure to look for no/low sodium vegetables or fruit packed in 100% fruit juice to cut back on added salt and sugar.

Now that you know how easy it can be to add just one more fruit or veggie to your day, you can sit back, relax, and enjoy healthy days to come.