We all know by now that we should be eating a bare minimum of five servings of fruits and vegetables each day, and the more the better! But knowing and doing are two different things, aren’t they? Sometimes it just seems easier to reach for pre-packaged snacks and convenience food. But with just a little thought and planning, your whole family can easily reach the goal every day!
Here are 10 Ideas to get you started:
not easy to get them all in there. We are constantly tempted to fill up on convenience and junk food. If your family is anything like mine, they’d much rather fill up on a bag of chips or a bowl of rice or pasta instead of trying an apple or a plate of steamed broccoli. So we’ll have to get creative. Here are a few ideas to “sneak” some extra vegetables and fruits in your family’s diet.
1. Start the day with a breakfast smoothie. All you have to do is throw some fruits, low-fat yogurt or almond milk, and ice in a blender. You may also want to add a scoop of protein powder for good measure. Just blend for a few seconds and you have the perfect breakfast ready to go. To make it even more appealing for your kids, use a scoop of frozen yogurt in the smoothie. It’s almost like having dessert for breakfast.
2. Dried fruit makes an excellent snack any time of the day. Add some small cartons of raisins to your child’s lunch box, pack some dried mango, apple chips or other dried fruit in your husband’s briefcase. You can also add dried fruit to oatmeal and cereal in the morning. Just be sure use dried fruit without added sugar.
3. Add some fruits and vegetables to your family’s sandwiches. It’s easy to add some banana, sliced apples or strawberry slices to a peanut butter sandwich. Or top a turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onions and anything else you know they will eat. You can even make a sub shop style vegetable sandwich by using french bread and adding an array of different vegetables and cheeses. Finish it off with oil and vinegar and your choice of spices and you’ve got an instant family favorite.
4. Have a salad bar at dinner. Set out a variety of chopped vegetables, fruit slices, some cheese and croutons, lettuce and several choices of salad dressing. You may want to add some sliced almonds or sunflower seeds too. Let everyone create their own perfect salad.
5. Let them drink their fruits and vegetables. Make a round of cold-press juices every day. Kale, cucumber, ginger and green apple; Beets can be juiced alone or with other fruits and vegetables. There’s no limit to the combinations you can create.
6. Try this for dessert. Put a frozen banana and a scoop of frozen mixed fruit in a blender. Add just a dash of almond milk and blend briefly. You now have a healthy frozen treat.
7. Offer fruits and vegetables as healthy snacks. Keep apples, grapes, bananas, tangerines, peaches, pears or other fruits in a location that’s easily accessible. Encourage your kids to grab a piece of fruit instead of cookies or chips. You can also slice apples and top them with peanut butter, or cut up fresh veggies and serve them with ranch dip.
8. Try some new fruits and vegetables. Pick something exotic to arouse your family’s curiosity. With a little luck their curiosity will outweigh their initial hesitation to try something new. You could try plantains, papaya, kiwi, star fruit, or anything else you find in the produce department of your local store that looks interesting.
9. Make a pot of vegetable soup or a stew that’s heavy on veggies and light on the meat. Both of these make great comfort food when the weather turns cold.
10. Start a weekly practice called “My Veggie Day.” Each family member gets to pick a vegetable one day of the week. But they only qualify to pick a vegetable if they tried each vegetable the week before. Otherwise, they lose a turn and Mom or Dad gets to pick.
Incorporate a few of these ideas and you will have everyone in your family eating more fruits and vegetables in no time.
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