5 a day that's what they say!

Eat Easy and Still Meet Your 5 a day Requirements of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day. The principle is based on a fact that people who eat more fruits and vegetables have less heart disease and enjoy better quality of life. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables not only promotes good health but is also effective in warding off risk of several major or chronic diseases like cholesterol and high blood pressure. 

All fruits and vegetables qualify for 5 a day fruits and vegetables recommendation except for potatoes which belongs to starchy food group. You can have fruits and vegetables in various forms such as canned, fresh, frozen, juices, cooked, raw or as a part of any dish. Steaming and grilling fruits and vegetables is going to retain more vitamins then boiling them. Also, it is important to know that variety is the key so for example though bakes beans count, they count only once. Same rule applies for orange juice. Even if have five glasses of orange juice, that doesn’t mean you have met your targets. 

You can eat easy and still meet your 5 a day requirement of fresh fruits and vegetables, Chef Tonne has got some interesting suggestions to make these nutritious foods more convenient and accessible.

• You should start making your own flavors of yogurt from plain yogurt by mixing different combination of fresh fruits.
• For daily use stick to chunky salads instead of thick, creamy dips.
• While making pastas dishes, add frozen vegetables to it. This will help you to eat easy, additional serving of vegetables. 
• Encourage your family to drink more of 100% fruits juices over tea or coffee or soda. 
• For the morning breakfast, add fruits to oatmeal, pancakes, waffles and cereals. 
• Look for combinations of fruits and vegetables that can be eaten raw instead of munching on chips and pretzels. 
• Include fruits and vegetables like raisins or carrot when you pack lunch for your kids or husband or for yourself. 
• If you are going out for lunch, take trip to grocery salad bar. Prefer lots of dark green leaves and other vegetables rather than piling up extras like egg, bacon and cheese. 
• Strategically place fruit and vegetables in the line of sight. For example decorate fruit basket on the dinner table with colorful grapes, bananas, apples and oranges. When your family sees them, they will love to eat them. 
• When you cook vegetables, make it twice more than what you need immediately. Store the extra for tomorrow. It will save you time.
• When you are using canned or quick serve soup, add fresh beans or other vegetables to enhance the flavor and taste. 
• If you are preparing pizzas, add extra veggies and pineapple instead of extra cheese and fatty meat.
• Try replacing usual candy bars, ice-cream sandwich and cookie with berries, dates and melons for a naturally sweet dessert. 

Not only fruits and vegetables are packed with nutrients, they are also quite filling, but most importantly they are effective in warding off any empty calorie snacking that might follow.