The 2010 USDA Dietary Guidelines recommend making half your plate be fruits and vegetables in order to improve health and reduce risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, stroke, hypertension, overweight, heart disease and certain cancers. Most Americans fail to meet the USDA recommendations for fruit and vegetables. But…why?

While there is no one single answer, health professionals suggest that many of us simply don’t know how to put these health recommendations into practice. We’re cooking less, eating out more and are frequently eating on the run. What we need are the tools to make eating more fruits and vegetables quick, convenient and easy. Try these ideas to help you add more fruits and vegetables into your daily routine…quickly and easily.

Shopping & Storage Strategies
• Choose fresh fruits and vegetables that keep well for a week or more: apples, grapefruit, oranges, artichokes, beets, cabbage, carrots, celery, kale, onions, parsnips,
potatoes, squash and sweet potatoes.
• Look for produce that is locally grown. Fruits and vegetables that are grown
locally do not travel as long and are typically fresher and tastier than foods transported long distances.
• Shop with a friend in mind. Share a bunch of celery or a melon. Split a bag of peppers or apples. Sharing gives you variety without the waste.
• Buy frozen fruits and vegetables in bags, rather than boxes. You can use as much or as little as you want. Then, tie up the bag to preserve flavor and store what is left for
another time.
• Store unused portions of fresh veggies (like peppers, onions, celery and mushrooms) in plastic freezer bags or small containers to use later in pastas or stir-fries.
• Mix leftover pasta with chopped vegetables and low-fat salad dressing for a tasty pasta salad.
Mealtime Tips
• Stop by the salad bar at your local grocery store and make a nice salad with a variety of different fresh fruits and vegetables. You get variety without buying large amounts
of many vegetables and fruits. And, you don’t spend time cutting and chopping.
Buy extra salad and roll it in a whole wheat tortilla for lunch or the following day’s dinner. For extra flavor, add beans, chicken or shredded cheese.
• Make a meal out of a spud. Top a baked potato with canned chili, beans and steamed
broccoli, carrots or cauliflower. Serve with a fat-free sour cream or shredded cheese.
• Add some greens to your burger. Thaw a box of frozen chopped spinach; squeeze out the water. Add to ground beef or ground turkey and make your burgers more nutritious.
Give Prepared Foods a Boost
• Lightly sauté fresh vegetables such as broccoli, onions, mushrooms, peppers, carrots and eggplant, and add to jarred pasta sauce. Serve over whole wheat pasta.
• Add vegetables and a single-serving can of tuna or leftover meat to pasta salad from
your local market or deli.
• Perk up take-out or frozen pizza with pineapple, chopped tomatoes, mushrooms,
peppers, broccoli, onions or other favorite vegetable.
• Pair pizza with a salad or steamed vegetables for a wholesome, healthy meal.
• Dress up quick-cooking brown rice or couscous with diced tomatoes, shredded carrots, raisins and pine nuts. Season with a splash of balsamic vinegar.
• Top frozen whole-grain waffles with peanut butter and fresh or frozen fruit.
• Add fresh, frozen or dried fruit to instant hot cereals like oatmeal and Cream of Wheat®.
• Like Mexican food? Warm canned fat-free or reduced fat refried beans in the microwave. Add low-fat or non-fat cheese, vegetables and salsa, and roll mixture in a
whole wheat tortilla.
• Add raisins or other dried fruit (dried cranberries or cherries work well), chopped
walnuts and celery to prepackaged romaine salad. Top with reduced fat dressing.
• Create your own special soup. Add chopped vegetables to tomato, lentil, bean or
chicken noodle soup.
• Pick up a fresh fruit cup at the local grocery store or convenience store. Pair it with
low-fat or non-fat cheese and crackers, yogurt or cottage cheese for an on-the-go snack or meal.
• In a blender, combine yogurt, ice, milk and your favorite fruit (strawberries, bananas, pineapples, mangoes, blueberries or peaches) to create a tasty smoothie.