Decorate your Plate with Fruits & Vegetables of the Rainbow

If you didn’t reach your fruit and vegetable goal yesterday, here are a few ideas that may help to inspire you for the days ahead:

• Swap your BLT sandwich for baked beans or grilled mushrooms and tomato on whole grain toast
• Include vegetables, such as baby spinach, in pasta sauces and risottos. Stir through at the end of cooking for a little extra color and nutrition
• Freeze oranges, bananas, grapes, and strawberries for an icy treat
• Have vegetable sticks, such as carrots and celery, for an on-the-go healthy snack. Vegetable sticks dipped in hummus or tomato salsa are delicious and very filling
• Grate or dice onion, carrot, zucchini, and corn into a scrumptious muffin or pickle the mixture
• A stir-fry with lots of vegetables is another great way to include a variety of colors to your dinner
• Dried fruits make an easy to-go snack. Add a handful into a Ziploc bag and throw into your work bag
• Place cut-up, ready –to-eat vegetables and fruits in see-through containers in a visible place in your refrigerator as a reminder to have your daily fruits and veggies

How many servings did you have today?

Here is a guide to define a serving of fruits and vegetables:

1/2 cup cooked vegetables
1 piece of medium sized fruit (apple, orange)
1 cup salad vegetables
8 strawberries
1/2 cup cooked beans, peas or lentils
1 cup diced fresh or ½ cup canned fruit
1 medium potato
2 pieces smaller fruit (apricots, plums, kiwi)
1/2 medium sweet potato
1/2 cup fruit juice

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