20 Ways to Enjoy More Fruits and Vegetables

Building a healthy plate is easy when you make half your plate fruits and vegetables. It’s also a great way to add color, flavor and texture plus vitamins, minerals and fiber. All this is packed in fruits and vegetables that are low in calories and fat. Make 2 cups of fruit and 2 ½ cups of vegetables your daily goal.

 

Try the following tips to enjoy more fruits and vegetables every day.

1. Variety abounds when using vegetables as pizza toppings. Try broccoli, spinach,   green peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms and zucchini.
2. Mix up a breakfast smoothie made with low-fat milk, frozen strawberries and a banana.
3. Make a veggie wrap with roasted vegetables and low-fat cheese rolled in a whole-wheat tortilla.
4. Try crunchy vegetables instead of chips with your favorite low-fat salad dressing for dipping.
5. Grill colorful vegetable kabobs packed with tomatoes, green and red peppers, mushrooms and onions.
6. Add color to salads with baby carrots, grape tomatoes, spinach leaves or mandarin oranges.
7. Keep  cut vegetables handy for mid-afternoon snacks, side dishes, lunch box additions or a quick nibble while waiting for dinner. Ready-to-eat favorites: red, green or yellow peppers, broccoli or cauliflower florets, carrots, celery sticks, cucumbers, snap peas or whole radishes.
8. Place colorful fruit where everyone can easily grab something for a snack-on-the-run. Keep a bowl of fresh, just ripe whole fruit in the center of your kitchen or dining table.
9. Get saucy with fruit. Puree apples, berries, peaches or pears in a blender for a think sweet sauce on grilled or broiled seafood or poultry, or on pancakes, French toast or waffles.
10. Stuff an omelet with vegetables. Turn any omelet into a hearty meal with broccoli, squash, carrots, peppers, tomatoes or onions with low-fat sharp cheddar cheese.
11. "Sandwich" in fruits and vegetables. Add pizazz to sandwiches with sliced pineapple, apple, peppers, cucumber and tomato as fillings.
12. Wake up to fruit. Make a habit of adding fruit to your morning oatmeal, ready-to-eat cereal, yogurt or toaster waffle.
13. Top a baked potato with beans and salsa or broccoli and low-fat cheese.
14. Microwave a cup of vegetable soup as a snack or with a sandwich for lunch.
15. Stock your freezer with frozen vegetables to steam or stir-fry for a quick side dish.
16. Make your main dish a salad of dark, leafy greens and other colorful vegetables. Add chickpeas or edamame (fresh soybeans). Top with low-fat dressing.*
17. Fruit on the grill: Make kabobs with pineapple, peaches, and bananas. Grill on low heat until fruit is hot and slightly golden.
18. Add grated, shredded or chopped vegetables such as zucchini, spinach and carrots to lasagna, meat loaf, mashed potatoes, pasta sauce and rice dishes.
19. Make fruit your dessert: Slice a banana lengthwise and top with a scoop of low-fat frozen yogurt. Sprinkle with a teaspoon of chopped nuts.
20. Dip: Whole wheat pita wedges in hummus, baked tortilla chips in salsa, strawberries or apple slices in low-fat yogurt, or graham crackers in applesauce. 

 

Information from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association). The Academy is the world's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals and is committed to improving the nation's health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy. Visit the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics at www.eatright.org.

From the Guide to Good Eating to My Plate: The Progression of the Food Guide

By now you have likely seen the latest rendition of the USDA food guide My Plate.  Whether you love or hate My Plate you will likely get a kick out of walking down memory lane looking at all the USDA Food Guides…

In the 1940’s, the USDA released the Guide to Good Eating with the basic 7 food groups, of which butter and margarine constituted their own group!

In the late 1950’s, Food for Fitness was released, and the basic 7 had been condensed to only four groups.

In 1979, Americans were ready for something new, and the Hassle-Free Daily Food Guide was developed.

Keep reading about the progression of the American food guides...

Eat Right With Color: Blue, Purple, Green and White

You may not consider yourself an artist, but you could be when it comes to preparing your meals. Adding colorful fruits and vegetables to your meals is an easy way to increase the nutritional quality of your diet.  We’ve all heard to increase our fruit and vegetable consumption, but now we are learning more and more about how the pigments may be of major benefit to our health.

Blue and purple fruits and vegetables (blueberries, blackberries, purple cabbage, eggplant, plums, grapes, figs, raisins and prunes) are pretty exciting when it comes to research on disease prevention. The blue and purple pigments in produce are called “anthocyanins” which can act as powerful antioxidants that protect cells from damage. They have been associated with reducing the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease and stroke. Since anthocyanins help reduce oxidative damage, this pigment is associated with anti-aging properties, especially when it comes to memory function. Other potential benefits that have been studied include improving urinary tract health and preventing high blood pressure. Just adding a handful of berries to your breakfast can provide a powerful antioxidant punch to your morning routine.

Going with green produce also will provide a mouthful of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Green foods get their color from chlorophyll and are typically good sources of vitamins A, K and C. Leafy greens, peppers, peas, cucumber and celery provide lutein, which is a carotenoid that acts as an antioxidant in eye health. Researchers are hopeful that diets rich in lutein may prevent age-related vision impairment. Green veggies also are a great way to get folate for brain health, as well as prevent birth defects. “Indoles” found in broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage may protect against some cancers. The intake of this pigment may be hindered by the use of certain blood thinners that have an interaction with vitamin K. Balancing this medication with intake of vitamin K is something that should be discussed with your health care provider before changing your diet.

Oftentimes, white is not recognized for its role in our health. The plant chemical “anthoxanthins” are prevalent in white-pigmented produce and may help with promoting healthy cholesterol and blood pressure – reducing overall risk of heart disease. White-pigmented foods such as bananas and potatoes are rich in potassium, as well. Other foods to try in this category are onions, garlic, ginger, jicama, turnips, cauliflower and mushrooms.

So take a look at your plate. Can you add a little color at meals or maybe with a snack? Given that much of our colorful produce is not in season, using frozen fruits and vegetables is a suitable option. In fact, since most frozen produce was picked at the peak of ripeness, the nutrients are well-retained and may be higher than that of the fresh options available in our stores now. You also may elect to add herbs and spices – a quick way to add antioxidant power to your meals.

Submitted by:
Heather Pierce, MS, RD, CDE, LDN
Blount Memorial Hospital
Weight Management Center
907 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway
Maryville, TN 37804
Office: 865.977.4674 / Fax: 865.980.5050

Eat Right with Color: Color Your Diet Red!

Including a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables in your diet helps provide your body with a wide range of nutrients for optimal health.  The basic idea is to choose an array of foods from the different color groups—red, yellow, orange, blue, purple, green, white—because each color group has certain nutrients, vitamins, and antioxidants. 

Specifically, including naturally red foods in your diet helps maintain heart health, memory function, urinary tract health, and may also lower the risk of some cancers.  Foods in the red group contain specific phytochemicals such as lycopene and anthocyanins that benefit overall health.

Color your diet red every day by eating these foods:

Fruit.  Red apples, cherries, cranberries, red grapes, pink/red grapefruit, red pears, pomegranates, raspberries, strawberries, watermelon

Vegetables.  Beets, red peppers, radishes, red onions, red potatoes, rhubarb, tomatoes

Beans & Peas.  Pink/red beans (kidney, pinto), red lentils

There are several ways to incorporate red foods into your diet.  Below are some tips to increase your intake of red fruits, vegetables, and legumes. 

• Top a cup of fat-free or low-fat yogurt with raspberries, apples, or sliced strawberries 
• Ask for more vegetable toppings (like sliced tomatoes, red onions, or red peppers) and less         cheese on your pizza. 
• Drink a fruit smoothie made with whole fruit (raspberries or strawberries), ice cubes, and a low-fat or fat-free yogurt. 
• Store cleaned red fruits and vegetables in the fridge at eye level and keep a low-fat or fat-free fruit or veggie dip on hand. 
• Add vegetables like tomatoes or red bell peppers to your egg or egg white omelet.Add sliced strawberries to your cereal, oatmeal, waffles, or toast. 
• Snack on vegetables like red bell pepper strips with a low-fat or fat-free ranch dip. 

Try these recipes:

Stuffed Red Bell Peppers 

Ingredients  (Makes 8 servings)

4 red or green bell peppers
1 pint or 2 cups cherry tomatoes
1 medium onion
1 cup fresh basil leaves
3 garlic cloves
2 tsp olive oil
¼ tsp Salt
¼ tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly oil a large shallow baking pan. Cut peppers in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Arrange peppers cut sides up in baking pan and lightly oil cut edges of stems. Halve cherry tomatoes and chop onion and basil. Finely chop garlic. In a bowl toss tomatoes, onion, basil, garlic, 2 tbsp. oil, salt and pepper to taste. Divide mixture among peppers and roast in upper third of oven until peppers are tender, about 20 minutes.

Nutrition information per serving: Calories 41, Total Fat 1.4g, Saturated Fat 0.3g, Carbohydrates 7g, Protein 1g, Cholesterol 0mg, Fiber 2g, Sodium 78mg, Carbohydrates 63%, Protein 10%, Fat 27%.

           

           Raspberry Smoothie

Ingredients  (Makes one serving)

1 cup unsweetened, frozen raspberries

¾ cup 100% orange juice

½ cup plain low-fat yogurt

Blend all ingredients well in blender and drink!

Nutrition information per serving:  Calories 240, Fat 0g, Carbohydrate 52g, Protein 8g, Fiber 4g, Sodium 70mg, Cholesterol 0g.

  

For more recipes please visit: http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/.

Submitted by:
UT Dietetic Intern

Eat Right with Color… To Maintain Your Health While on Dialysis

The diet recommended for people who need dialysis can be very limiting. While it is important to follow the recommended limitations, it is also critical to include as much variety as you can in your diet to get the best nutritional value.

The foods listed below will help to give you some ideas on how to include more color in your diet. Be sure to talk with your renal RD about what is best for your specific health needs.  

Green

Fruits: Apples, grapes, kiwi, lime

Vegetables: Asparagus, broccoli, green beans, green pepper, celery, lettuce, kale

Orange & Yellow

Fruits: Apricots, grape fruit, peach, pineapple, tangerine

Vegetables: Carrots, yellow pepper, corn, yellow squash

Purple & Blue

Fruits: Blackberries, blueberries, plums

Vegetables: Eggplant, purple cabbage

Red

Fruits: Cherries, cranberries, grapes, grapefruit, raspberries, strawberries

Vegetables: Red onion, red pepper, rhubarb, radishes

White, Tan, Brown

Fruits: Pears

Vegetables: Cauliflower, mushrooms, onions, turnips, white corn.

Submitted by:

Knoxville-Area RD