15 Ways To Add More Veggies And Fruit Into Your Life

Posted on by Holly

Only 1 in 10 Americans eats enough fruits and veggies!

Really! Yikes! According to data collected by the CDC a few years ago, the average American eats only 1.1 servings of fruit (including fruit juice) and 1.6 servings of veggies (including fried potatoes) per day.

Hopefully this number has increased since this research was released in 2013 but it is a far cry from recommendations of 5-7 servings per day.  And many health experts believe we need a lot more than 5-7 servings of veggies and fruit to optimize our health, support detoxification, and prevent chronic disease.

It’s a well-known fact, and worth repeating: Fruits and vegetables can help protect you against many chronic diseases — not to mention, they also provide you with the vitamins and minerals that your body needs to function.   But it can be a challenge to get the recommended servings in…

Try one of these 15 ideas to get more fruits and veggies into your life:

  1. Make a fruit-and-yogurt parfait for breakfast. Mix a handful of low-fat granola with low-fat yogurt. Add sliced bananas or strawberries.
  2. Top a piece of whole-grain toast with peanut butter and sliced bananas.
  3. Mix blueberries or raspberries into your muffin or pancake batter.
  4. Add bell peppers, spinach, broccoli, mushrooms or tomatoes to your scrambled eggs or egg-white omelet.
  5. Like pizza? Pizza is a great canvas for a big pile of colorful veggies. Practically anything works, from greens and tomato to roasted squash or root vegetables. Yum!
  6. Mix green beans, corn, broccoli or peas into your favorite casserole or pasta dish. Aim to eat more veggies than you do pasta.
  7. Make a meal of vegetable soup and salad. Beef up your lettuce salad with cherry tomatoes, shredded carrots and sliced cucumbers.
  8. Use avocados as a creamy base for dressings, sauces, smoothies, desserts—avocados are naturally creamy, neutral-tasting, and nutrition-packed.
  9. Fill your sauces and dips with veggies—Jaime Oliver’s Full of 7 Veg Tomato Sauce is delicious.
  10. Create a healthier sandwich: Include lots of spinach or romaine lettuce, sliced tomatoes, sliced onions and sliced cucumbers, along with whatever lean protein is your favorite.
  11. Have a smoothie: Mix fresh fruit, ice cubes and low-fat yogurt in a blender for a fruit-smoothie snack.
  12. Bulk up your burger add carrot puree or chopped mushrooms to your turkey or beef burger patty.
  13. Turn ’em into a fries. Slice zucchini, avocado, carrot, or green beans, lightly bread, and bake until crispy.
  14. Veg up your chili. Add carrot, sweet potato, or butternut squash purée to any chili or stew recipe.
  15. Disguise greens in chocolate! These spinach brownies use puréed spinach leaves in the mixture to add an extra dose of greens to your meal. (Bonus: they’re vegan.)

Explore different varieties of vegetables and fruits for appealing tastes and textures.  Start small if you are not a big fruit and veggie eater.  Developing healthy habits take time so don’t try to change overnight. Try one or two of these ideas this week and share your experience on the Facebook Page.

You can do this!