6: Don’t Skip Dessert
Desserts tend to be regarded as a sweet treat for special occasions only. But a fruit-based dessert has the ability to offer a light, refreshing, naturally-sweet ending to a satisfying meal, with the added bonus of an extra fruit serving.
• Take those plain old bananas and grapes to a whole new level with a freezing frenzy. Freeze grapes and bananas for a super satisfying, pop-able delight. For an added yum-factor, dip half a banana in a small amount of antioxidant-rich dark chocolate.
• Blend up some fresh fruit with 1/2 cup low fat yogurt or 100% fruit juice for delightfully refreshing fruit popsicles.
• Eating ice cream or frozen yogurt? Pile on 1/2 cup of fresh peaches, mangos or berries for a serving of fruit.
7. Make-Ahead Meatless Mondays
The campaign for “Meatless Monday” is gaining popularity. The concept is simple: One day a week, cut out the meat. (And Monday seems to be a good day to try.) It’s a great way to eat more fruit and vegetables. By eliminating meat once a week, you may reduce your risk of cancer and heart disease, support sustainability, and even come out saving a buck or two. To make your goal even more attainable, use your Meatless Monday as a make-ahead day to prepare extra fruits and vegetables for the week.
• Choose a day convenient to you to leave meat out of your diet. Use this as a “day of preparation” for the entire week to assist your goal to increase your fruits and vegetables by three servings a day.
• Check out our collection of Superfast Vegetarian dishes, like these Vegetarian Chipotle Nachos, that are quick, delicious, and packed full of veggies.
8: Say Yes to Salads
Salads have the potential to be a Healthy Habit gold mine, rich in fruits, vegetables, and nutritional value. But we’re not talking about salads with a leaf of iceberg, and loads of bacon, cheese, and ranch. We’re talking dark green leafy beds with colorful, crunchy toppings.
• Start one meal a day with a small salad. Get creative. One cup of leafy greens + 1/2 cup of fruit or veggie toppings = 2 servings.
• Alternate your greens from the normal Romaine or iceberg… for general rule of thumb, the darker the greens the more nutrient rich they are.
9: Boost Your Breakfast
The importance of eating breakfast is immeasurable. Not only does it break the fast and jumpstart your metabolism, but it also boosts your performance at work or school, helps with weight maintenance, and for the purposes of Healthy Habit #1, is the perfect time get in an extra fruit or vegetable serving for the day.
• Stir berries (fresh or frozen), dried fruit, or banana slices into yogurt, cereal, or oatmeal. Our Banana, Wheat Germ, and Oats recipe (shown here) boasts a full serving of fruit plus the benefits of wheat germ. Every 1/2 cup of fruit you add is a serving.
• Make a smoothie. Combine some low fat milk or yogurt, 1/2 cup frozen berries and a banana for a super easy blended breakfast – and 2 entire fruit servings!