vegetables of all different colors because
they provide different vitamins and minerals.
If you are having a sandwich for lunch,
throw on some slices of tomato, cucumber,
carrots, lettuce or avocado. How about
a peanut butter and banana sandwich on
whole wheat bread? Have carrot sticks or
celery sticks with lunch instead of potato
chips.
You can easily add fruit or vegetables to
your day in the form of a snack. If you are
on-the-go, pack yourself an apple, orange,
banana or pear. Try dipping carrots or celery
into some hummus or peanut butter.
Put a box of raisins in the kids’ lunchboxes
or try a cup of mandarin oranges for a
sweet snack. Slice a banana lengthwise and
top it with a scoop of low-fat yogurt and
chopped nuts or granola. Dip strawberries
or apple slices in low-fat yogurt, or dip graham
crackers in applesauce.
At dinnertime, you can add a side salad
or one or two sides of vegetables to the
meal. A baked potato with broccoli and
low-fat cheese or beans and salsa is delicious.
Try making fun kabobs on the grill
with pineapples, peppers, mushrooms,
squash and other fruits and vegetables. Add
grated or finely chopped veggies into soup,
stew and tomato sauce – you can include
celery, carrots, squash, spinach, zucchini and
onions.
It’s always better to eat an orange verses
drinking orange juice. Juice can have extra
additives and preservatives (and sometimes
added sugar), which in turn can have extra
calories. Keep a bowl of fresh fruit on the
counter or the kitchen table
so you are not tempted
to go looking
through the cabinets
for processed
snacks. Buy ready
to eat fruits and
vegetables. If you
are short on time,
you can buy already sliced carrots and celery
as well and other vegetables. Buy the
family a fruit platter to keep in the refrigerator
if you know you won’t have time to
cut up fruit for snacks.
Plan your meals ahead of time. Pack
your freezer with bags of frozen berries,
peppers, spinach and other favorites so
you have them in the house when you
need them. Fruits and vegetables should be
a staple in your diet and with a little effort
and creative planning you can easily get all
your fruits and vegetables into your day.
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