Fruit and Vegetables

By Nurse Diane

June is National Fruit and Vegetable Month.  It’s the perfect time to celebrate, because there are alot of family gardens popping up all over town.  The most popular crop here is tomato.  I have never grown any, because people, who do grow them, always have more than they can eat, and they like to share. Other popular crops include: squash, bell peppers, onions, jalapeño peppers, corn, okra, beans and peas.  I don't know of too much fruit grown around here, there are watermelons, cantaloupe, and occasional strawberries and blueberries.

Fruits and vegetables are a great way to get the most nutrition out of your calories. They are packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients.  Compared with people who consume a diet with only small amounts of fruits and vegetables, those who eat more generous amounts as part of a healthful diet are likely to have reduced risk of chronic diseases, including stroke and perhaps other cardiovascular diseases, and certain cancers.

I have been trying to add more fruits and vegetables in my diet, so here are some tips to help sneak some extras into your meals:

Wake up to fruit: make a habit of adding fruit—fresh, frozen or dried—to your morning oatmeal, ready-to-eat cereal, yogurt or toaster waffle.

Stock up: Fill your fridge with raw vegetables and fruits—"nature's fast food"—cleaned, fresh and ready to eat.

"Sandwich" in fruit and vegetables: Add pizzazz to sandwiches with sliced pineapple, apple, peppers, cucumbers and tomato as fillings.

Top your pizza with lots of veggies. Try broccoli, spinach, green peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms and zucchini.

So while the veggies are popping up in your area, stock up and learn how to freeze them to save for the winter months, and if you can't eat enough veggies or fruits, you can always have a V-8!

(Photos from Google) 

Eat Your Vegetables Day

(Google Image) 

By Chef Terry

Eating your Veggie Day is always celebrated on June 17^th and was strategically created in the middle of National Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month; this day is the perfect opportunity to re-introduce a healthy portion of vegetables into your diet. No doubt about it, Eat Your Vegetables Day was created to promote a more healthy diet.......for life! 

(Google Image) 

Eat Your Vegetables: 15 Tips for Veggie Haters (from WebMD):

• Tip No. 1: Add veggies you almost like to dishes you already love;
• Tip No. 2: Try them in soup;
• Tip No. 3: Slip them into salads;
• Tip No. 4: Serve them raw;
• Tip No. 5: Take raw vegetables skinny dipping;
• Tip No. 6: Sneak them into spaghetti and pizza;
• Tip No. 7: Drink your vegetables;
• Tip No. 8: Increase the fun factor;
• Tip No. 9: Grill, baby, grill;
• Tip No. 10: Know how to cook the stronger flavored veggies;
• Tip No. 11: Try them where you least expect them;
• Tip No. 12: Be sensitive to textural turn-offs;
• Tip No. 13: Even fast-food vegetables count;
• Tip No. 14: Don't reward your kids (or yourself) for eating vegetables; and
• Tip No. 15: It's all about the cheese.

(Google Image) 

Remember parents – we set the example for our children by our actions!!  Ensure you make vegetable an important part of your meals and snacks.  Along the way, you tell your kids a little about the importance of vegetables for a long and healthy life.

(Google Image) 

The next time you think you don't have the time to eat properly, remember that vegetables are among the most convenient foods around. You can cook most vegetables in just a few minutes if you steam, stir-fry, or microwave them.

(Google Image) 

Good links:

http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/eat-your-vegetables-and-other-234079.aspx

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/eat-your-vegetables-15-tips-for-veggie-haters

(Google Image)