ABCs of Fruits and Vegetables

This spring keep an eye out for seasonal fruits & vegetables: asparagus, beets, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, grapefruit, lemons, oranges, spinach, and strawberries. Increasing your consumption will help maintain optimal bone health, support your immune system, while providing healthy food sources for adequate fuel during activity!

Avoid peeling! Fruit peel with the exception of oranges, mangos, and bananas provide a good source of fiber and nutrients. Eat your fruit with the peel!

Buy them whole! Avoid canned fruits in heavy syrup. Look for whole pieces that you can take on the go!

Chop them up into small bite-size pieces. This makes them easier to eat while in class or to add to a salad.

Dessert with fruit! It is okay to indulge once in a while but make sure the majority of your dessert plate is fruit.

Entrees. Pack half of your plate with fruits and veggies. Find ways to sneak veggies into the recipes you already make (ex: pasta dish, chicken stuffing, or fish).

Farmer’s Market! Attend your local farmer’s market. You can try fruit samples and buy all of your weekly needs fresh and at a reasonable price!

Grill time! It is the perfect time for a BBQ! Experiment with grilling pineapples, zucchini, or peaches!

Home cooking! Eat out less and more in your own kitchen. This will encourage you to prepare meals from fresh ingredients!

Involve the whole family. The more members of a family adopt healthy eating habits, the more likely everyone else will do the same.

Jot down and prepare snack ideas the night before. This will keep you on track with a healthy snacking routine.

Keep cut up fruits and veggies in Ziploc bags. You can store them in the refrigerator, in your school bag, or car.

Limes! If you are worried about taking cut up fruit with you to school because it may brown, try adding lime juice to prevent oxidation!

Make baked items with grated carrots, zucchini, or blueberries for added nutrients, fibers, and vitamins.

Nourish your body with the pulp of the fruit for added fiber and nutrients when juicing.

One fruit serving per meal is a great way to start. As you get comfortable with that, add them in for snacks as well!

Purchase them frozen for a fun treat. Frozen fruits have all the same nutrients as fresh ones but may be better on a warm day.

Quench your thirst with fruit flavored water. Add pineapple, orange or strawberry slices to an ice-packed water bottle for a refreshing and hydrating way to pack in fruit.

Research the benefits that fruits and vegetables provide! When you better understand the vitamins and minerals that are provided you will be more inclined to increase your consumption.

Steam veggies with your meat for an easy way to get a serving of vegetables with a meal.

Think color. The darker the fruit the more antioxidants it provides! Choose deep blues and reds.

Understand that you need at least 6-7 svgs of fruits or vegetables per day! (Remember 1 serving of fruit is about the size of your fist!)

Visibility is key. If fruits and vegetables are out of sight its consumption will be less. Keep a plate nearby and in front of you.

Whip up a smoothie! If you are unable to get all of your fruit and vegetable needs in a day, blend them all for a heart healthy shake. Try: blueberries, strawberries, grapes, kale and your choice of milk.

You do not need to do everything at once. Try one new idea from the list above each week. Little steps will help make a big difference while guiding you in the direction of reaching successful fueling goals!