15 Ways to More Fruits and Veggies

cooking
Written By Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Best ways to eat more fruits and veggies:1. Have 1 cup of fruit or 100% fruit juice for breakfast.2. Take 1 cup of fruit for your mid-morning snack.3. Eat at least one cup of vegetables at lunch. This can be a salad or vegetable soup.4. Eat at least cup of vegetables for dinner.5. Make one vegetarian recipe each week; don’t be afraid to try new ones!6. Eat a salad at least once a day, every day.7. Keep frozen veggies on hand for quick side dishes and to throw in pasta or soup during the week.8. Start shopping in the produce section of the grocery store and build your meal ideas from what you find there.9. At least 1/3 of your grocery cart should be from the produce section when yo shop.10. Keep fresh and dried fruit on hand for grab and go snacks.11. Take fresh fruit with you every day for snacks.12. The next time you visit a fast-food restaurant, order a salad instead of fries.13. Make a delicious fruit dessert a couple times per week (see our fruit recipes in this issue).14. Make a veggie stir fry once each week and use a variety of fresh and frozen vegetables.15. When eating, fill 1/2 of your plate with fruits and vegetables. Best recipes:www.cookinglight.comwww.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.orgwww.foodandhealth.com Best time savers:•  Baby carrots•  Fresh salad mixes•  Grape tomatoes•  Cut slaw mix•  Frozen stir fry mix•  Frozen corn, peas, carrots, broccoli•  Frozen pepper strips•  Canned diced tomatoes•  Canned beans•  Dried pitted fruits•  Baking potatoes•  Sweet potatoes•  Grapes•  Apples•  Bananas•  Oranges•  PearsFor more information:Go to ChooseMyPlate.gov and check out the exact amount of fruits and vegetables you should be eating each day. Most people need to eat about 4.5 cups and do not get enough.Best ways to jazz it up:• With warm weather coming, freeze some grapes and sliced bananas - these make great keep-cool-snacking treats for everyone.• Instead of the same old boring iceberg lettuce, try some crispy fresh spinach, arugula or mixed greens on salads and sandwiches.• Put some fresh veggies on the grill whenever you decide to cook out.• Toss some fruit into your salad - you can use dried fruits like cranberries or fresh ones like berries, mangoes, peaches and pineapple.

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Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Judy’s passion for cooking began with helping her grandmother make raisin oatmeal for breakfast. From there, she earned her first food service job at 15, was accepted to the world-famous Culinary Institute of America at 18 (where she graduated second in her class), and went on to the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland, where she focused on pastry arts and baking. After a decade in food service for Hyatt Hotels, Judy launched Food and Health Communications to focus on flavor and health. She graduated with Summa Cum Laude distinction from Johnson and Wales University with a BS in Culinary Arts, holds a master’s degree in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America, two art certificates from UC Berkeley Extension, and runs a food photography & motion studio where her love is creating fun recipes and content.

Judy received The Culinary Institute of America’s Pro Chef II certification, the American Culinary Federation Bronze Medal, Gold Medal, and ACF Chef of the Year. Her enthusiasm for eating nutritiously and deliciously leads her to constantly innovate and use the latest nutritional science and Dietary Guidelines to guide her creativity, from putting new twists on fajitas to adapting Italian brownies to include ingredients like toasted nuts and cooked honey. Judy’s publishing company, Food and Health Communications, is dedicated to her vision that everyone can make food that tastes as good as it is for you.

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