30 Ways to Sneak in More Fruits and Vegetables

Registered Dietician

| 2 min read

Food and Recipes
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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

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