How to Easily Add More Fruits and Vegetables to Your Diet

It's a well known fact that most Americans don't get the recommended nine daily servings of fruit and vegetables each day. This is unfortunate since a diet rich in fruit and vegetables has been shown to protect against a variety of chronic disease including heart disease and various cancer.Fortunately, there are ways to painlessly add more fruits and vegetables to your diet. Here are some suggestions.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Add fresh fruit to your cereal or oatmeal in the morning. Blueberries, strawberries, and bananas all taste wonderful in breakfast cereal.

2. Instead of eating plain eggs in the morning, add spinach, tomatoes, and chopped vegetables to create a antioxidant rich omelet.

3. When you go to a restaurant, substitute the vegetable of the day for the starch served with your entrée.

4. Add fresh fruit to a small container of low fat yogurt for a healthy and nutritious snack that's rich in vitamin c and calcium.

5. When you grab that sandwich or burger on the run, tell them to add extra lettuce and tomato to your sandwich. Substitute a salad in place of the French fries that come with your order.

6. For a quick pick me up, blend fresh fruits with a little low fat milk in your blender to create a delicious smoothie.

7. Substitute fruit juice in place of your daily soft drinks.

8. Drink a quick serving size can of vegetable juice everyday with your meal or as a quick pick me up during the day. You can also purchase a juicer and make your own fresh vegetable and fruit juices.

9. For a healthy dessert, place seedless grapes in the freezer as a popsicle substitute. You can also buy popsicle molds and make your own popsicles out of fruits that have been pureed in the blender.

10. Substitute a veggie burger for your usual hamburger. Be sure to add lots of lettuce, tomato, and sprouts.

11. Cut up a variety of fresh vegetables in the morning such as cucumbers, carrots, and celery. Take them to work along with a container of low fat dip for a quick snack.

12. Instead of eating a calorie laden dessert, prepare a bowl of fresh berries and top it off with a dollop of fat free whipped topping.

[brandi26]

on 11/14/2008 Have started to change my eating habits a couple of weeks ago & these tips will be a great help.

Thought they were terrific!

[slphilbrick]

on 8/30/2008 Great tips ! Taking fresh fruits or veggies when you are driving somewhere can often times stop the impulse eating in drive thru's when you realize that you're hungry. :)