Guest Author - Jamie Robertson

Most people know that getting enough servings of fruits and vegetables is important to maintaining a balanced and healthy diet. For adults, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends eating 5-6 servings per day. Sometimes getting these servings in can be difficult. Below are a few suggestions for working some extra servings into your daily menu.

Breakfast

Starting the day with a serving of fruit can help kick off your day. Have a bowl of cold cereal or oatmeal and simply add a sliced banana or a handful of berries. A glass of 100% fruit juice can substitute for one of your fruit servings. Even if you do not have time to sit down to breakfast, pick up an apple or orange on the way out the door and eat it when you get to the office.

Snack

Snacks are a great way to work in extra fruits and vegetables. Apple slices can be paired with peanut butter and carrot sticks or celery with ranch dressing.

Lunch

If you normally eat a sandwich for lunch, add lettuce and a slice of tomato for a serving of vegetables. Put the lettuce and tomato in their own sandwich bag so that they do not make the bread soggy. At lunchtime, take them out of the bag and add them to the sandwich. Have a piece of fruit with lunch as well. Apples and oranges are easy to carry in a lunch bag and are also easy to eat.

Dinner

Dinner is a good time to double up on servings of vegetables. Find two different vegetables that could be added to dinner. They can be served as side dishes or mixed into the entrée. Try to ensure that the two vegetables you pick are of different colors. This can help to optimize the number of nutrients you get.

Dessert

Dessert is a good time to get one last serving of fruit. Most fruits are sweet and go well with ice cream, pie, and other desserts. Find something in season to make a spectacular dessert. It can be as simple as peaches over vanilla ice cream. Fruit salad is another wonderful choice that can incorporate all your favorite fruits.