In the new dietary guidelines the recommended number of fruits and vegetables, have increased from five to nine.
We are offering you a few tips how to add more nature’s products to your diet.

Always, choose fresh and seasonal produce, because this, ensure best quality and price. Also, you need to invest in some new tools that will help you with preparing the fruits and vegetables and it will make it easier for you. You will need tools such as: apple corer and slicer, an orange and potato peeler and a melon baller.

1. We all know that this is the most important meal of the day. Adding fruits and vegetables to this meal will be very easy. Instead of donut and muffins, choose some of these options:

• Scrambled eggs with shredded zucchini, mushrooms and onions and smothered with fresh salad. On the side you can put veggie sausage links. The veggie sausage links, can be found in the frozen food sections of the grocery. And don’t worry, they taste good.
• In the pancake batter, add a slice of apple and use berry flavored applesauce instead of maple syrup.
• Put handful of dried cranberries into your cereals.
• Make a smoothie using orange juice, frozen strawberries and bananas and yogurt. If you don’t drink it the whole, put in your refrigerator for later.
• Instead of water, drink a glass of vegetables of fruit juice.

A MORNING SNACK. This will help you get through until lunchtime. Make sure your morning snack is healthy.

• In you yogurt dip fresh fruits.
• Eat dried fruit.
• Eat a frozen chocolate-dipped banana.

LUNCH. This is an opportunity to eat more of your favorites.
Here are some ideas for your lunch:

• In your sandwich, put mashed avocado, then put spinach leaves, tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms, sprouts and cheese (the one you like the most). You can add vinaigrette and you can enjoy in your veggie sandwich.
• Change the hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken patties with the vegetable substitutes. They are made of soy or mushrooms and other vegetables. The vegetarian hot dogs are with onions and bean chili.
• Instead of chips, you can have a piece of fresh fruits or a dill pickle.
• Bake a French fries using sweet or fresh potatoes.

AFTERNOON SNACK.

• You can have artichokes with a dipping sauce.
• Baby carrots with peanut butter or cream cheese.
• In your food processor put cream cheese or yogurt with bunch of roasted veggies and puree them. You can serve this meal with crackers.
• Cheese and crackers go great with sliced apples.
• Baked pita chips and hummus.
• For a cool afternoon treat, you can freeze blueberries, melon balls and grapes. They need to be frozen individually, so they cannot stick to each other, after they are frozen  Freeze them individually on a cookie sheet so they don’t stick to each other then once frozen, transfer themto a zippered baggie. You should eat them straight from the freezer or they can be used in smoothies.

While you are cooking your dinner, follow these ideas:

• Instead of steaming or boiling vegetables, try roasting them. They are great with olive oil and a touch of balsamic vinegar and roast in the oven or on the grill.
• Be artistic, make iceberg lettuce, strive baby spinach leaves and load the dish up with various vegetables.
• You can try adding shredded zucchini into breads, casseroles meatloaf,  and muffins. It is great.
• With Mexican meal, put a banana or few in the kiln till the peel turns black.
• Sweet potatoes and yams aren’t just for Thanksgiving. You can mash sweet cooked potatoes with a can of crushed pineapples and a little butter.
• The spinachgoes great in recipes such as lasagna, quiche and even tostadas.
• Use pureed carrots into macaroni and cheese and into sauces, like spaghetti sauce.

• Have a smoothie. You can use the one you froze at breakfast.
• Have a scoop of frozen yogurt with your favorite type of berry.
• Have a muffin. You can choose a banana or zucchini muffin.

And that is all. Be sure that your body will be thankful!