Morning, noon, or night, its can be easy to include more fruits and vegetables into your meals! Try some of these yummy tips from Nutrition411.com.
Breakfast
1. Add blueberries to pancakes, waffles, or muffin batter
2. Mix raisins, diced apple, or dried apricots into oatmeal
3. Add peppers, onions, spinach, broccoli, or shredded carrots to a morning omelet
4. Make a smoothie with fruit, low-fat yogurt, and ice
5. Add peppers and onions to hash browns, and serve with a little ketchup on the side
6. Top a toasted waffle with warmed applesauce
Lunch
7. Top a pizza with mushrooms, peppers, onions, or pineapple
8. Put a slice of avocado on a regular sandwich
9. Add mushrooms, peppers, onions, or diced carrots to spaghetti sauce
10. Place a few slices of tomato on a grilled cheese sandwich
11. Add some extra mixed vegetables to soup
12. Add celery, onions, carrots, or peppers to meat loaf
13. Place sliced bananas on a peanut butter sandwich instead of jam
14. Add apples, grapes, or raisins to chicken salad
15. Spread some cranberry sauce on a turkey sandwich
16. Top pork chops with apples, pears, or raisins
17. Roast fish under a layer of lemon, orange, or lime slices
18. Add layers of frozen spinach or eggplant to lasagna
Sides and Snacks
19. Top a baked potato with salsa
20. Replace half of the oil in a recipe with applesauce when baking
21. Slice a sweet potato, toss with a little olive oil, season as you wish, and bake to make sweet potato chips
22. Add mandarin oranges or diced pears when making Jell-O® salad
23. Mix dried fruit with almonds, and add few M&M’s®
24. Stir fresh fruit and granola into yogurt
25. Use broccoli or diced pepper in macaroni and cheese
26. Blend cooked cauliflower into mashed potatoes
Dessert
27. Choose fruit sorbet instead of ice cream
28. Enjoy a baked apple stuffed with raisins and topped with a drizzle of caramel sauce
29. Dip strawberries in chocolate syrup and top with low-fat whipped cream
30. Roast pears with honey and a sprinkling of ginger
Reference and recommended reading
Healthy cooking with fruits & vegetables: healthy servings—from morning to midnight. Fruits & Veggies—More Matters Web site. http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/?page_id=5.