TODAY's TOP TEN TIPS FOR EATING MORE VEGETABLES AND FRUIT

provided by Dietitians of Canada

1. Have the number of Vegetables and Fruit Food Guide Servings recommended for you each day in Every Other Day Diet Food Guide. Eat at least one dark green and one orange vegetable each day.

2. Enjoy soups often – it might be a broth soup with lots of vegetables or a soup made from pureed vegetables, such as squash, broccoli, carrot or red pepper. You can even experiment with soups using fruits, such as melon and apple.

3. Keep frozen peas, beans, corn or mixed vegetables in the freezer to steam or microwave as part of a meal or for a quick addition to stews, stir-fries, chili, or soups.

4. Make a fruit salad at least once a week with a mix of different fruits such as apples, berries, oranges, grapefruit, melons, peaches, pears or pineapple. Use a combination of fresh or canned fruit. Add a splash of citrus juice to keep it fresh. Having it ready and available in the fridge will ensure it gets eaten.

5. Keep a variety of raw vegetables cut and washed in the fridge for quick snacks. The choices are endless – carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, peppers of any colour, radishes, cherry tomatoes, turnip.

6. Throw berries onto cereal, into muffins and pancake batter, or on a salad. Add grated vegetables, such as carrot, zucchini, beets, to muffins and cakes.

7. Whirl up a "smoothie" using ½ cup (125 mL) milk or orange juice, a 6 oz (175 mL) container of flavoured yogurt, and ½ cup (125 mL) fruit in a blender.

8. Pack fruit and vegetables to take for snacks or lunch every day. Wash and cut in advance, and carry in small plastic bags or containers. This preparation will help increase the odds that it will get eaten rather than traveling back home.

9. Try vegetables like broccoli, celery, green beans and green peppers. Try a 3-pepper stir-fry with red, green and yellow peppers. Make it Asian-style with Chinese broccoli, bok choy, mini-corns and water chestnuts. Use your imagination.

10. Enhance bottled or canned tomato sauces with extra vegetables such as peppers, carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, onions or zucchini. Grating them finely into the sauce can sometimes get them past children who might not be eating many vegetables.