Fruits and vegetables are important sources of many vitamins and minerals, fiber, and phytochemicals (plant compounds that promote health and protect against certain diseases). Eating a wide variety of types and colors is the best way to make sure you get all the benefits that fruits and vegetables provide.

Ways to increase fruits:

• Add fresh fruit, dried fruit, or canned fruit (preferably in unsweetened juice) to cold or hot cereal.
• Add berries, mashed bananas, grated apples or applesauce to pancake batter. Top with more fruit.
• Use frozen fruits to make smoothies, or thaw and mix with plain yogurt or use to top low-fat or fat-free frozen yogurt.
• Add chopped apple or pear, pineapple tidbits, mandarin oranges, halved grapes, raisins, or dried cranberries to tuna salad, chicken salad, cooked brown rice, or stir-fry dishes.
• Have children pick out a new fruit to try next time you go to the grocery store.

Ways to increase vegetables:

• Add grated, chopped or leftover cooked vegetables to spaghetti and pizza sauce.
• Keep the freezer stocked with frozen vegetables. Use them as a side dish later in the week when your supply of fresh vegetables is depleted or use to add extra vegetables to soups, stews, casseroles, or packaged meals.
• Add grated or chopped vegetables like mushrooms, onions, zucchini, carrots, and tomatoes to omelets, meat loaves, and meat/tuna patties.
• Serve baked potatoes topped with lightly steamed or microwaved chopped or sliced vegetables.
• Vary the vegetables you use to make salads. Try simple mixtures like sliced sweet onion, cucumber and tomato – or – Romaine lettuce, grated carrots, and cauliflower.