Heart Healthy Diet Tip #4

StandardFebruary 21, 2015by carynfasko0 Comments

Eat More Fruits and Veggies!

Fruits and vegetables are great sources of vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytochemicals. Because of this and their generally lower amounts of calories and fat they have been shown to help with weight control and can decrease your risk for multiple chronic disease such as heart disease and cancer. The American Heart Association recommends consuming 8 or more servings of fruit and vegetables every day….Which can seem overwhelming, but it may not be as hard to do as you think.

What counts as a serving?

1/2 C of fresh, frozen or canned fruits or vegetables
1/2 C of 100% fruit or vegetable juice
1 medium fruit
1 C of raw leafy green vegetables
1/4 C dried fruit

Tips to Add More Fruits and Vegetables in Your Diet

1. Pack a banana, apple or dried fruits in your purse for a quick snack
2. Toss some berries or raisins into your breakfast cereal or oatmeal
3. Add veggies such as peppers and onions to your eggs
4. Add a salad, vegetable soup or piece of fruit to your lunch or dinner
5. Add tomatoes, lettuce, onions or any other favorite vegetables to your sandwich
6. Keep some cut up fruit and vegetable sticks ready in your refrigerator for a quick and easy snack
7. Keep a bag of frozen fruit such as mixed berries in your freezer so you can make a nice cold smoothie on a hot day
8. Add chopped vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms or onions to your pasta or rice
9. If you are a dessert fan you can try baking fruit such as apples, pears or plums with a light sprinkle of brown sugar and cinnamon
10. Eat from the rainbow! Add colors to your diet with a variety of fruits and vegetables!

Check out these great recipes to help you eat more fruits and veggies!

Roasted Plums with Greek yogurt…. just make sure you choose a nonfat greek yogurt with no added sugars

http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/roasted-plums-with-greek-yogurt-honey-and-almonds/

Super Easy Brown Rice with Vegetables….. If using soy sauce choose a low sodium soy sauce

http://www.fortheloveofcooking.net/2012/06/brown-rice-with-grilled-vegetables.html

Frozen Smoothie

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/mixed-berries-and-banana-smoothie-recipe.html

And here is a salad that is definitely not your usual boring normal every day salad

http://www.oprah.com/food/Watermelon-and-Tomato-Salad-with-Feta