10 Easy Ways to Eat More Fruits & Veggies

eHow may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. Learn more about our affiliate and product review process here.
Woman holding bananas in produce aisle of supermarket, rear view
1 of 10

Overview

This New Years, you've made a resolution to "eat better," but it's been a while since mom reminded you to eat your peas and carrots. Fortunately, there are a few creative shortcuts to incorporating more fruits and vegetables into your daily routine.

Image Credit: Noel Hendrickson/Digital Vision/Getty Images
...
3 of 10

Dish Them Up As Dips

Fresh, healthy, homemade dips are a great way to scoop your way to more servings of veggies. Chunky tomato salsa is full of antioxidants, eggplant-based baba ganoush is packed with phytonutrients, and guacamole, even though it's high in calories, is a great way to stock up on your monosaturated heart-healthy fats. So guac on the wild side and have a few chips with your salsa. - in association with Rachael Ray

Related: Louisa's Baba Ganoush

...
4 of 10

Bake Them Into Bread

Like any baked goods, you'll still have your usual suspects - butter, flour and sugar - but don't let this dissuade you from making and enjoying pumpkin or banana bread. "It's got a lot of color, a lot of flavor and because it's fresh and you make it yourself, it's got a lot of nutrients," said locavore chef and cookbook author, Louisa Shafia about her homemade cinnamon spice squash bread. While this isn't exactly "health food," these treats are teeming with vitamins and nutrients and clear winners against it's boxed bread counterparts. - in association with Rachael Ray

Related: Watch Cinnamon Spice Squash Bread in HD

...
5 of 10

Sneak Them Into Soup

You don't need to save your peas, carrots and squash for for garden minestrone. Any soup can benefit from the added body of fiber-filled veggies. Add celery and carrots to chicken noodle soup, broccoli to your beef stew or you can take a leaf out of Louisa's book and use butternut squash in your chili or make a quick miso soup out of any leftover vegetables you have in the fridge. - in association with Rachael Ray

Related: Watch Whatever's in the Fridge Miso Soup in HD

...
6 of 10

Blend Them, Juice Them, Drink Them

Whether you juice your fruit Jack LaLanne style or make Louisa's Pumpkin Chai Spice Smoothie, drinking your veggies is a fun (and delicious) way to get your daily serving. Carrots go well with just about anything, and if you're worried you might not like the taste of blended kale, apples mask the flavor well. For those of you who are particularly ambitious, it's time to try the Spinach "Margarita." Just blend two cups of both spinach and ice with one cup of white grape juice, add some lime and a squirt of agave nectar and you've got yourself a (virgin) drink worthy of a little la bamaba. - in association with Rachael Ray

Related: Watch Pumpkin Chai Spice Smoothie in HD

...
7 of 10

Add Them to a Salad

Toss some strawberries into that spinach salad or add sliced pears to your baby greens. It's a face-lift for your lettuce and an extra serving of fruit for you, so get creative with your fruit and veggie combinations. Louisa Shafia recommends trying peaches and corn or apples and cabbage, but it's hard to go wrong with mandarins, berries or even watermelon. - in association with Rachael Ray

Related: Watch Crowd-Pleasing Corn and Peach Salad in HD

...
8 of 10

Use Them As a Wrap

Forgo the pita or tortilla in favor of a large-leafed green the next time you're making a wrap. Collard greens, kale and chard all have large nutrient-rich leaves making them ideal, figure-friendly "wrappers." Plus they are chock full of vitamins K, A and C, meaning you are simultaneously cutting carbs and lowering your cholesterol. - in association with Rachael Ray

Related: Watch Figure-Friendly Snack: Collard Wraps in HD

...
9 of 10

Give Them a Garlic Kick

Is your broccoli boring? Do you feel like your green beans have "bean" there done that? It's time to get out the garlic. It's amazing what this little bulb can do - it wards off vampires, it fights colon cancer and it gives you a reason to ask for seconds of the Brussels sprouts. Clearly, it's magical. Just add a couple of chopped cloves to your saute and let them begin to brown before tossing in your broccoli, asparagus or other winter greens to give them that garlic kick. - in association with Rachael Ray

Related: Pan Seared Brussels Sprouts with Lemon Zest


Advertisement

Video of the Day