Dr. Ann’s Tips for Getting 7 Servings of Fruits and Veggies Daily
- I always include 1 cup (that’s 2 servings) of fruit at breakfast. Most often, frozen berries or frozen berries with banana, kiwi, pear, or apple.
- I always include 1 ½ cups of veggies at lunch (that’s about 2 – 2 ½ servings). I most often have a combination of leftover dinner veggies and a fresh made salad of some sort.
- I always include a piece of fresh fruit as my single mid-afternoon snack. Most often fresh citrus, apples, or pears.
- I always include 1 ½ cups of veggies at dinner. Most often a combination of cooked veggies along with a fresh tossed salad.
Here are some additional strategies I rely on to eat an abundance of vegetables.
- I grow some of my own vegetables. I have four raised beds in my yard in the city and a large garden at my weekend cabin in the country.
- If a recipe calls for veggies, I add at least double.
- If a recipe doesn’t call for veggies – I figure out a way to put them in anyway.
- If I make tuna or salmon salad, I add lots of lightly cooked (tender-crisp), fresh chopped broccoli (2 parts broccoli to 1 part tuna/salmon). I eat salmon/broccoli salad 2-3 times a week for lunch.
- I buy large bags of organic carrots, cut-up and rinsed broccoli florets, sweet bell peppers, fresh asparagus, Brussels sprouts, and at least 2 varieties of onions regularly from Costco. These are veggie staples in my fridge at all times.
- I keep several bags of frozen organic chopped spinach and frozen baby peas in my freezer at all times.
- I visit my local farmer’s market weekly when operational to pick up local produce that I do not grow in my own garden.
- I begin most any savory dish by sautéing an entire onion. Onions enhance the flavor of any savory dish.
- I add fresh and or dried herbs liberally to my dishes.
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