A Dozen Ways to Get More Fruits and Veggies

You've heard the mantra - get at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. In reality, you should aim for five to nine servings. Sadly, the typical American eats only about one serving a day. Think it's hard to work in all those fruits and veggies? First, consider that any of the following equals one serving:

• 1/2 cup of cooked vegetables
• 1 cup of raw vegetables
• 1 small piece of fruit
• 1/2 cup diced fruit
• 4 oz. 100 percent juice

Have you ever measured 1/2 cup of cooked broccoli? It's a quite small amount. Next time you have vegetables, take out a measuring cup and see for yourself. Follow the easy suggestions below and you'll have your fruit and veggie intake up in no time. Along with feeling less hungry, you'll also get loads of vitamins and minerals.

Fruit

• Top your cereal with apples, bananas, berries or raisins.
• Pack an apple, pear or Clementine with you on your way to work.
• Add some berries or sliced banana to your low-fat yogurt.
• Snack on a handful of dried fruit (raisins, apricots, cherries, prunes) mixed with 2 tablespoons of nuts or seeds.
• Make a fruit smoothie by blending frozen fruit (berries, bananas, mango) with low-fat milk and yogurt, or with orange juice.
• Mix strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, mangos, grapes or apples into green salads or chicken salads.

Vegetables

• Create veggie-based meals, like winter squash stuffed with brown rice.
• Puree veggies in a blender and add to soups.
• Pop a bag of frozen veggies in the microwave or heat on the stove.
• Use bagged lettuce or spinach for a quick and easy salad.
• Sauté a large zucchini and a container of sliced mushrooms and add to your favorite pasta sauce.
• Pack some raw veggies, like mini carrots, celery strips and grape tomatoes into a plastic bag and bring to work.