Topics of Discussion

• The No-Excuses Appeal of Fruits & Veggies-- Excuses vs. Excuse Busters

• Easy Ways to Eat 5 Fruits & Veggies Each Day-- Tips and Tricks to eating 5 a Day

• Healthy Snack List-- Crunchy, Sweet, Salty, Creamy

• Glorious Greens

The No-Excuses Appeal of Fruits and Veggies

Excuse #1:

• Buying Fruits & Veggies are costly & spoil too quickly…

Excuse-Buster #1:

• Buy them in-season & fresh. They will be cheaper & at their peak of flavor full of vitamins and minerals.

• Buy both ripe and unripe items so you have some for immediate eating while the others are ripening

• Keep them on the top shelf of the fridge, on the kitchen counter so you see them.

Check Your Reasons at the Door

Excuse #2:

• They take too long to prepare.

Excuse-Buster #2:

• Select the already sliced varieties. Eat them in snack form or toss in a salad.

• Stock up on frozen/canned. These are simple to prepare & offer similar nutritional value.

• Wash, slice, & dice -- store in a clear container in the front of your fridge where you can see & grab on a daily basis.

No More Excuses

Excuse #3:

• Fresh fruits and veggies contain harmful pesticides.

Excuse Buster #3:

• Wash produce with warm water. Scrub well with a dish brush.

• Discard the dirt from the outer leaves of leafy veggies such as lettuce & cabbage.

• Peel & cook quickly (steam or stir-fry) so as not to loose too many nutrients.

It’s important to eat 5 a day

Excuse #4:

• Vitamins are easily lost when you cook fruits & veggies.

Excuse Buster #4:• The longer & hotter you

cook, the more nutrients you lose. You could also eat some of them raw.

• Cook only until crisp & tender “al dente” (steam).

• Use little water to reduce the dissolving vitamins.

• Use big pieces rather than small to minimize the surface area exposed to air.

Easy Ways to Eat 5 Fruits & Veggies a Day

Tips and Tricks

• Add fruit to your cereal, oatmeal, waffles, pancakes.

• Create your own flavors with plain yogurt & various combinations of fresh fruit.

• Use chunky salsa as a snack dip and sandwich dressing.

• Add frozen veggies to pasta dishes.

Easy Ways to Eat 5 Fruits & Veggies a Day

More Tips & Tricks

• Make extra veggies & store them for another meal.

• Add your own beans & vegetables to your soups.

• Load extra veggies on your thin crusted pizza.

• Try berries, melons, dates for naturally sweet dessert.

One serving is less than you might think

One serving equals:1 medium piece of fruit½ cup fruit (raw, canned or frozen)

½ cup cooked veggies (canned or frozen)

1 cup raw veggies¼ cup dried fruit½ cup cooked peas or beans

Combine Fruit with main meal courses

Other ideas:

• Raisins, apples, tangerines add sweet & crunchiness to a salad.

• Apples complement pork.• Pineapple is great with

shrimp and fish.• Orange slices are perfect

with chicken.

HEALTHY SNACK LIST

Crunchy• Apples• Frozen Grapes• Carrots• Celery

Sweet• Yams• Sweet Potatoes• Squash (acorn, butternut)• Dates

HEALTHY SNACK LIST

Salty• Olives• Pickles• Sauerkraut• Lime• Lemon

Creamy• Avocados• Coconut milk• Baba Ganoush (eggplant)• Mashed Potatoes• Mashed Bananas

Glorious Greens• Green vegetables are the foods most missing

in modern diets. Learning to cook and eat greens is essential to creating health.

• When you nourish yourself with greens, you will naturally crowd out the foods that make you sick.

• Greens help build your internal rainforest and strengthen the blood and respiratory system.

Some of the benefits of eating dark leafy greens

• Blood purification• Cancer prevention• Improved circulation• Strengthened immune

system

Some of the benefits of eating dark leafy greens

• Promotion of healthy intestinal flora• Promotion of subtle, light & flexible energy• Lifted spirit & elimination of depression• Improved liver, gall bladder & kidney function• Cleared congestion

There are so many greens to choose from • Broccoli or Broccolini

• Bok Choy• Napa or Green Cabbage• Kale• Collard or Mustard Greens• Dandelion• Arugula, Endive, Chicory• Lettuce or Mesclun • Spinach• Swiss Chard• Broccoli Rabe

Find greens that you love and eat them often. Be adventurous and try greens that you’ve never heard of before.

There are many ways to prepare greens

• Raw salad is refreshing, cooling and supplies live enzymes.

• Steaming makes greens more fibrous and tight, which is great for people who are trying to lose weight.

• Boiling makes greens plump and relaxed. Boil for under a minute so that the nutrients in the greens do not get lost in the water.

• You can also drink the cooking water as a health-giving broth or tea if you’re using organic greens.

RawSteamedBoiledSautéed in oil Sautéed in water