Eat the Rainbow this September for Fruits & Vegetables More Matters Month

Did you know that just 1 in 10 adults meet the federal fruit or vegetable recommendations? Many adults don’t realize the importance of eating the recommended 1½ to 2 cups of fruit and 2 to 3 cups of vegetables daily. That is why celebrating Fruits & Vegetables More Matters Month throughout the month of September is so important.

Fruits and vegetables are packed with essential vitamins and minerals that your body needs to function properly. Now is a great time to focus on ways to add more fruits and veggies into your day. Incorporating more fruits and vegetables does not have to be hard, simple tips can help you find ways to add more to each meal.

Incorporating more fruits and vegetables into your diet is made easier when you have a recipe you can’t wait to try. There are so many wonderful and filling dishes that you can make with just fruits and vegetables!

4 Tips to Adding MORE Fruits and Vegetables into Your Diet

When you’re not a big fruit and vegetable fan, eating the recommended fruit and vegetable intake can be hard. However, there are tips that you can try to increase your intake:

Keep fruits and vegetables visible on your kitchen counter or dining room table. Having a bowl filled with a variety of fruits and veggies is hard to miss!

Mix and match your fresh, frozen, and or canned produce. Be sure to check the labels on canned goods, look for “low” or “reduced” sodium, and make sure fruit is packed in water or its own juice. Canned or frozen vegetables can be great options when working with a budget.

Mix in fruit with your favorite snacks. Snacks are a great way to increase your nutrient intake. Try raw veggies with hummus, or an apple with peanut butter, or even yogurt with your favorite fresh fruit topping.

Seasonal veggies are the way to go! Check out your local farmers’ market for what is in season and maximize all the options by incorporating them into your favorite meals.

3 Fruit and Vegetable Recipes You Do Not Want to Miss

Here are a few of my favorite ways to get in my fruits and veggies!

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup– A fall favorite. Halve a butternut squash, roast for 35-40 mins, remove from the oven and cut into chunks. Chop up one whole onion and sauté in a little olive oil. In a blender, add onions, roasted butternut squash, and 1 ½ cups of vegetable stock. Blend until smooth, serve and enjoy!

Fruit and Veggie Smoothie- Blending in your favorite dark leafy greens, such as spinach, kale, swiss chard into your favorite smoothies is a great way to increase your vegetable intake. Then you can add in strawberries, blueberries, and banana, or any other fruit that you like!

Fruit and Yogurt Parfait– This recipe is so simple but so yummy. Mix a bowl of plain Greek yogurt with fresh fruit and top it off with some coconut flakes and granola.

There are many wonderful resources available to assist you in finding the perfect vegetable or fruit dish, such as my most recent cookbook, Enjoying Food Peace: Recipes and Intuitive Eating Wisdom to Nourish Your Body and Mind, which you can purchase here if you haven’t already.

Your Turn to Take Action: What kind of fruits and vegetables do you include with your meals? Let me know in the comments below.