Eat Your Fruits & Vegetables Daily Motivator: January 2011 - Cooking Light

Join us in our year-long Healthy Habits program. January's goal: Add 3 or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

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New Year, New You

Are you inspired to start the year off right but don't know where to begin? Remember that small changes can make a difference: Double the amount of veggies in your New Year's Day stew. In this recipe you can double the amount of kale or add chopped carrots, celery, or red pepper for more flavor and more nutritional mojo.

Find more: Double the Veggies

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Plan Ahead

Broccoli with Red Pepper Flakes and Toasted Garlic - Recipes

Photo: Randy Mayor

Pick one day a week to plan your meals and make sure to account for your vegetable and fruit servings. This adaptable broccoli recipe is a nice addition to your list: As is, it's perfect with Mediterranean-inspired pasta dishes. Swap out sesame oil for olive oil and serve with teriyaki-glazed pork or chicken thighs. The best part: it's ready in just 4 minutes.

View Recipe: Broccoli with Red Pepper Flakes and Toasted Garlic

Find more: Superfast Side-Dish Recipes

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Back-at-Work Snack Attack

All that marathon holiday eating may have you a little spoiled. Use snacks as a way to work in fruits. Best choice: whole fresh fruit. Good choice: 1/2 cup raisins or 1/2 cup 100% fruit juice (each offers 1 serving of fruit). Not-so-good choice: Fruit-flavored pastry-only 2% of its weight is actually made up of fruit.

Don't miss: Fruit and Vegetable Serving Sizes

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Are You Cooking for Picky Eaters?

Photo: Randy Mayor

If so, meet Robin Bashinsky, Cooking Light staffer who is working hard to get his kids to eat more veggies. Our advice to him: Involve the kids in shopping. Each child picks an item for the family to try. Let them grab funny red bananas, warty celeriac, and let them experiment with new flavors.

Find more: Tips on getting the whole family to eat their veggies

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Delicious Winter Produce

Just because some farmers' markets are closed for winter doesn't mean fresh produce is out. In Carrot-Parsnip Soup with Parsnip Chips, winter root vegetables lend their complementary, slightly sweet flavors to a hearty bowl of soup. A topping of crunchy parsnip chips is an unexpected-and delicious-twist.

See more: Best Recipes for Winter Vegetables and Fruit

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How Much Is a Serving?

We all want to eat more fruits and veggies, but how much is a serving? Here are some basic guidelines: 1 small apple, 1 large orange, 1 banana, 1/2 cup raw fruits or vegetables, 1 cup of leafy greens, 1 small bell pepper, 1/2 cup berries or grapes each = 1 serving.

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Don't Skip Dessert

Fruit-based dessert has the ability to offer a naturally-sweet ending to a satisfying meal, with the added bonus of an extra fruit serving. Take plain bananas and grapes and freeze for a satisfying, pop-able delight. Or dip half a banana or fresh strawberries in a small amount of antioxidant-rich dark chocolate.

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Persimmons: In Season & Worth Trying

Available October through February, persimmons are sometimes compared to apricots or plums in flavor and texture, and when fully ripe have cinnamon, clove, and sweet undertones. Choose persimmons that are heavy for their size and look for fruit with glossy, firm, brightly-colored skin.

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Have Your Steak and Veggies, Too

This dish combines the best parts of a steak house dinner—the simple salad with creamy dressing and the steak—into one 5-ingredient meal. Pile on more vegetables such as celery, carrot, and bell pepper to up your daily intake even more.

View Recipe: Steak Salad with Creamy Horseradish Dressing

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Make Today Meatless Monday

Choose a day convenient to you to leave meat out of your diet. It's a great way to eat more fruit and veggies. By eliminating meat once a week, you may reduce your risk of cancer and heart disease, support sustainability, and even come out saving a buck. These superfast Chipotle Nachos prove that meatless has come a long way.

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Does Eating Out Ruin Your Diet?

Cooking Light Sales Manager, Margaret Barnhart, travels constantly and eats meals out with clients most days of the week. Our advice: Search for ethnic restaurants, if your clients are willing to try them. Chinese, Thai, Indian, and Mexican places offer lots of vegetable-based entrées and side dishes.

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Boost Your Breakfast

Stir berries (fresh or frozen), dried fruit, or banana slices into yogurt, cereal, or oatmeal. Our Banana, Wheat Germ, and Oats recipe boasts a full serving of fruit plus the benefits of wheat germ. Every 1/2 cup of fruit you add is a serving.

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Say Yes to Salads

Pack in the veggies by starting one meal a day with a small salad. Get creative. One cup of leafy greens + 1/2 cup of fruit or veggie toppings = 2 servings. Alternate your greens from the normal Romaine or iceberg. The darker the greens the more nutrient-rich they are.

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Dining Out Tips

Restaurant menu items aren't carved in stone. Ask and you'll probably receive. Build a pizza with more vegetables and less cheese. Add extra veggies—cucumbers, sprouts, and roasted bell peppers—to a sandwich. Substitute steamed broccoli for the fries. Don't be afraid to ask for more veggies.

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Saturday Morning Brunch

Shredded carrots or zucchini visible in prepared muffins amounts to about 2 tablespoons per slice. That's nothing to celebrate. A better bet is to make your own veggie-packaged treat, like these Carrot Cake Pancakes. The vegetable serving isn't huge, but making it yourself ensures you use heart-healthier fats like canola oil, plus you're getting a little veggie bonus.

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Cram Veggies Into Casseroles

Cooking up a Mexican casserole? Add some extra peppers, mushrooms, and squash. Don't be shy with topping with tomato- and veggie-heavy salsa, either. Eggplant Parmesan? Double the eggplant. Chicken Pot Pie? Double those peas and carrots. You've got the idea.

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Love the Lettuce Wrap

Instead of bread or tortillas, make your next sandwich or wrap inside a leafy green. Stack 2 or 3 large, leafy greens such as Bibb lettuce, romaine, red lettuce, cabbage, or radicchio and pile on the fixings. Enjoy the added crunch factor.

View Recipe: Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

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The Busy Mom Dilemma

Photo: Randy Mayor

"I eat breakfast and lunch at my desk, dinner on the fly," says Kristi Hart, Cooking Light staffer. Sound familiar? Our advice: Make it a weekend project to prep 1 or 2 freezable vegetable dishes. Sauté extra vegetables one night, and toss leftovers into pasta dishes, soups, sandwiches, and salads during the week.

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Grate Your Way to Goodness

Shred or grate fruits and vegetables down, or puree them up and see how creative you can get with your favorite recipes. Grated zucchini and carrots do wonders for turkey burgers, meatloaf (like our Classic Meatloaf shown here), and meatballs, adding both moisture and nutrients to the dish.

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Feature a New Veggie Each Week

Try to experiment with a new seasonal vegetable (or fruit) each week. Get the whole family involved. Allow a family member to choose a new item from the produce section and add it to your meal. Cooking for one? Invite a friend or two over to try the new dish with you.

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Smoothie Break

Whirl up some low-fat milk or yogurt, 1/2 cup frozen fruit, and a banana for a delicious smoothie, and 2 entire fruit servings. Or try our Cucumber, Apple, and Mint Cooler for a refreshing, low-calorie smoothie that banks 1 serving of vegetables.

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Cut Out the Crust

Our favorite fruit pie recipes get placed on the "special occasions" list for one reason: the buttery crust. The solution? Place the filling of your favorite fruit (or pumpkin, as shown) pie recipe in individual ramekins. Bake until set and enjoy a serving of warm, satisfying fruit pie without the rich crust.

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Be a Sneaky Chef

Make a mean marinara that's loaded with vegetables such as mushrooms, eggplant, onions, peppers, squash, and carrots. This versatile sauce can be used in a variety of ways to add both flavor, as well as a serving of vegetables to your day. Spoon over noodles, mix it into lasagna, spread it over pizza crust, or use it as a dipping sauce.

View Recipe: Basic Marinara

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Make-Ahead Meatless Mondays

As your main meatless Monday dish, make a couscous, wild rice, or other grain salad like this Quinoa Salad with Vegetables packed with seasonal vegetables. Enjoy throughout the week in wraps, over a bed of spinach, or heated into omelets.

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Make Your Meals Count

Cooking Light Staffer: Fernande Bondarenko

Photo: Randy Mayor

Fernande Bondarenko, Cooking Light Art Director, admits she counts a handful of cashews and an avocado dinner some nights. Our advice: Use those ingredients to enhance a more nutritious quick dinner like chicken and broccoli slaw stir-fry sprinkled with cashews, or a black bean, bell pepper, and onion burrito with avocado.

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Good Dressing = Good Veggies

A lot of the fat-free and low-fat dressings out there are full of sugar and sodium and are completely deprived on flavor. A few splashes of a good, heart-healthy canola- or olive-oil based dressings can do wonders to that bed of greens. Try making your own with our Easy Herb Vinaigrette. Make a batch to keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

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Breakfast Pointers

Add peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, or onions to your eggs for a delicious omelet (every 1/2 cup is a serving), or pile the whole scramble on your favorite bread, tortilla, or bagel for a booster breakfast sandwich. Drink a 1/2 cup of 100% fruit juice with it for another fruit serving.

View Recipe: Huevos Revueltos

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On a Budget?

Check the weekly specials at your local grocery store and choose one of the items on special-they often reflect the abundance of certain seasonal produce. Find budget recipes to put seasonal produce to good use in our Feed 4 for $10 recipe collection.

View Recipe: Roast Chicken with Potatoes and Butternut Squash

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Nix the Noodles

Spaghetti Squash Gratins with Chunky Tomato Sauce

Try spaghetti squash. The name says it all with this veggie varietal. Once baked, spaghetti squash can be flaked with a fork to reveal spaghetti like strands to offer the perfect bed for your favorite pasta sauce. Try this technique in our Spaghetti Squash Gratins with Chunky Tomato Sauce.

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Recreate the Chip

Don't deny yourself; instead, make them yourself. We've made over a classic here. Use a mandoline to cut the potato for best results; hand-cutting is less likely to produce sufficiently thin and uniform slices. If you have any leftover chips, store them in an airtight container for up to a week.

View Recipe: Potato Chips with Blue Cheese Dip

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Dig the Dip

You've taken the time to cut and pre-portion your dip-able veggies, but we don't all have time to make everything from scratch. There are some great lightened-up store-bought dips that pair perfectly with our crunchy crudités. Check the produce and deli selections of your local grocery store for available selections.

See the 2010 Taste Test winners for store-bought hummus

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Eat Your Fruits & Veggies Daily Motivator

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New Year, New You

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Plan Ahead

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Back-at-Work Snack Attack

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Are You Cooking for Picky Eaters?

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Delicious Winter Produce

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How Much Is a Serving?

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Don't Skip Dessert

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Persimmons: In Season & Worth Trying

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Have Your Steak and Veggies, Too

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Make Today Meatless Monday

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Does Eating Out Ruin Your Diet?

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Boost Your Breakfast

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Say Yes to Salads

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Dining Out Tips

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Saturday Morning Brunch

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Cram Veggies Into Casseroles

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Love the Lettuce Wrap

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The Busy Mom Dilemma

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Grate Your Way to Goodness

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Feature a New Veggie Each Week

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Smoothie Break

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Cut Out the Crust

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Be a Sneaky Chef

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Make-Ahead Meatless Mondays

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Make Your Meals Count

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Good Dressing = Good Veggies

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