30 Ways to Sneak in More Fruits and Vegetables

Registered Dietician

| 2 min read

Food and Recipes
#HealthyMe
Diet and Nutrition
Sneak in more fruits and vegetables
During National Nutrition Month the goal is to eat right with color. There’s no better way to do that than by consuming a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Here are some ideas on how to incorporate more fruits and vegetables in your meals and snacks.

Breakfast

  1. Mix raisins, diced apple, dried apricots, berries or mashed banana into your oatmeal
  1. Add peppers, onion, spinach, broccoli or shredded carrot to a morning omelet
  1. Make a smoothie with fruit, low-fat yogurt and ice
  1. Add peppers and onion to hash browns
  1. Top a toasted waffle with warmed applesauce or berries
  1. Add any favorite vegetables to egg whites for a veggie omelet

Lunch and Dinner

  1. Top a pizza with mushrooms, peppers, onions or pineapple
  1. Put slices of cucumber on any sandwich
  1. Add mushrooms, peppers, onions, spinach or diced carrots to spaghetti sauce
  1. Place a few slices of tomato on a grilled cheese sandwich
  1. Add some extra mixed vegetables to soup
  1. Add celery, onions, carrots or peppers to meatloaf
  1. Replace the jam on a peanut butter sandwich with sliced bananas
  1. Add apples or grapes to chicken salad
  1. Spread some cranberry sauce on a turkey sandwich
  1. Top pork chops with apples, pears, or raisins
  1. Roast fish under a layer of lemon, orange or lime slices
  1. Add layers of frozen spinach or eggplant to lasagna
  1. Replace noodles with spaghetti squash

Sides and Snacks

  1. Top a baked potato with salsa
  1. Use applesauce or prune juice to replace half of the oil in any recipe
  1. Slice a sweet potato, toss with a little olive oil, season as you wish and bake to make sweet potato chips
  1. Add mandarin oranges or diced pears when making sugar-free Jell-O salad
  1. Mix fresh fruit into yogurt
  1. Add broccoli or diced pepper to macaroni and cheese
  1. Blend cooked cauliflower into mashed potatoes

Dessert

  1. Choose any mixture of fresh fruit topped with light cool whip
  1. Enjoy a baked apple stuffed with raisins and topped with a drizzle of caramel sauce
  1. Dip strawberries in chocolate syrup and top with low-fat whipped cream
  1. Roast pears with honey and a sprinkling of ginger
These are just a few ways that you can add more color and good nutrients to your day. Do you have any other ways that you incorporate veggies and fruit in your day? Remember the goal is at least 5-a-Day for better health with fruits and vegetables.
Photo Credit: Inspired RD

Related Articles

Diet and Nutrition

Meal Planning for Kids with Type 1 Diabetes

Diet and Nutrition

Comfort in a Cup - 3 Healthy Fall Beverages

Recipes

Chai Latte

Recipes

Pistachio Latte Recipe

About
Privacy
Contact

A Healthier Michigan is sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, a nonprofit, independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.
No Personal Healthcare Advice or Other Advice
This Web site provides general educational information on health-related issues and provides access to health-related resources for the convenience of our users. This site and its health-related information and resources are not a substitute for professional medical advice or for the care that patients receive from their physicians or other health care providers.
This site and its health-related information resources are not meant to be the practice of medicine, the practice of nursing, or to carry out any professional health care advice or service in the state where you live. Nothing in this Web site is to be used for medical or nursing diagnosis or professional treatment.
Always seek the advice of your physician or other licensed health care provider. Always consult your health care provider before beginning any new treatment, or if you have any questions regarding a health condition. You should not disregard medical advice, or delay seeking medical advice, because of something you read in this site.