If your goal is to lose weight, fruits and vegetables can help you do that. They are low in calories and provide fiber, which helps you feel fuller longer. Fruits and vegetables can also make you healthier whether or not you are trying to lose weight. They contain vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that all contribute to health in a positive way. Just remember to include more than just fruits and vegetables in your diet. You also need to eat whole grains, low-fat dairy and legumes, because only eating fruits and vegetables will not provide all the nutrients and calories you need in a day.
Breakfast
It is easy to sneak fruits and vegetables into breakfast meals while barely realizing they are there. Add vegetables like green beans, mushrooms, spinach and broccoli to omelets. Add vegetables like cucumber, kale or spinach along with an abundance of fruit to smoothies made with low-fat yogurt and milk or soymilk. Also, it's simple to sprinkle some berries or chopped-up fruit to a bowl of hot or cold cereal. You can also bake fruit into muffins or make zucchini or banana bread for breakfast.
Lunch
If you are at school during lunch time, plan ahead to bring healthy fruits and vegetables in your lunch bag. Add lettuce, tomato or avocado to your sandwich. Pack a salad, sliced vegetables, applesauce or cut-up fruit for side dishes. Add no-sugar-added fruit leathers to your lunch, but stay away from fruit snacks, because they are mostly sugar and additives without much actual fruit. If you are home, you can eat these foods as well, or make a vegetable soup, a wrap or sandwich made with vegetable slices or a salad full of fruits and vegetables.
Dinner
At dinner time, add fruits and vegetables to main meals, whether they are mixed in or made into side dishes. Cook apples or prunes with your meat course. Add mango, coconut and pineapple, as well as vegetables, to stir fries. Add cut-up vegetables to your pizza and into spaghetti sauce, and make creative vegetable side dishes. Make tacos, burritos or wraps with an abundance of vegetables inside and some tomato or mango salsa on top.
Snacks
For snacks, add dried fruit to nuts and granola for a trail mix. Cut fruits and vegetables and have them in the fridge prepared, so when you go for a snack, they are ready for you. Make popsicles out of no-sugar-added juices or cover bananas with yogurt and freeze them. Even though they are vegetables, eat potato or sweet potato chips in moderation because they are fried.
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