Dietary guidelines recommend a minimum of 4-5 cups of fruits and vegetables a day, but that can be a challenge for some people to meet.
Here are some ideas that might help you reach that nutrition goal.
An easy way to get your recommended amount of fruits and vegetables is to spread the servings out over every meal or work them in as a snack. Have 1 cup in the morning, 2 cups at lunch and 2 cups for dinner.
There are many ways to incorporate fruits or vegetables into breakfast. Add vegetables to omelets and fruit to your cereal. Mix fruit with yogurt for a sweet treat in the morning. A piece of fruit makes for a great grab-and-go breakfast.
Need some ideas to include more fresh fruits and vegetables into your lunch? Load salads with tomatoes, cucumbers, apples or blueberries. Add pears or apples to a quesadilla. Make your own mini pizza using a whole-wheat tortilla, sauce and top with peppers, broccoli, spinach and pineapple.
For dinner, tuck shredded carrots, yellow peppers and chopped spinach into each layer of lasagna or add pureed vegetables to pasta sauce. Substitute spaghetti squash for regular pasta. Add leftover veggies to soups or puree them to make a smooth soup with herbs and thin with vegetable broth. Many vegetables and fruit are great cooked on a grill. Try grilling eggplant, zucchini, asparagus, peaches, pineapple or kiwi.
Variety is the spice of life, so don’t be afraid to try different fruits and vegetables, whether that be fresh, frozen, dried or canned.
When you buy them fresh, clean and chop vegetables once you get home so you have them readily available for snacks and meals. If you are unable to eat vegetables such as peppers, celery, carrots and onions before they go bad, store them in the freezer and add them later to soups, stir-fries and omelets. Buy fresh berries when they are on sale, then wash and freeze for later use.
When purchasing canned fruits, look for those packed in juice and not syrup. For canned vegetables, pick those that have no added salt or are reduced sodium.
For frozen vegetables, choose plain instead of those in sauces. Add you own seasonings at home. When choosing frozen fruits, avoid those with added sugar or syrup.
Dried fruits can add fiber, vitamins A and C and potassium to your diet, but be sure to check the label for added sugar. Combining dried fruit with nuts and seeds makes for an easy trail mix. Also, keep in mind that the serving size for dried fruit is smaller than fresh fruit.
Information provided by Joan Plummer, dietitian and diabetes educator at Columbus Community Hospital.