10 Ways To Get Your 7 Servings

10 Ways To Get 7 Servings

Continued from our Retreat & Renew Daily Tip.

Melissa Wiliams, Freelance Writer | Co-Owner, Yoga Junction

New guidelines have recently emerged, demonstrating what the ideal meal should look like. Did you know that you’re supposed to aim for 7-10 servings of fruits and vegetables every day?

Let’s get you started:

1. Look at your plate. Half of it should be fruits and vegetables at every meal. Try to figure out your vegetable before you plan your entire dinner. Thinking in reverse makes it more likely that your meal will be veggie-heavy.

2. Prep in advance. As soon as you get home from the store, or over the weekend, chop up veggie sticks for hummus. Make an extra large salad every night so you have a built-in salad ready for the next day. Wash and wrap your greens.

3. And then pre-bag. Take your grapes, carrots, peppers, etc., and pre-bag them for a few days, so everyone in the family can grab a serving and go.

4. Blend them up. Making one meal a day your ‘blender meal’ which can drastically increase your fruit and vegetable intake. Try a green smoothie or a gazpacho.

5. Try adding more fruits veggies to your favorite baked goods. I have a go-to bran Carrot Ginger Muffin recipe that now has dates, carrots, raisins and bananas in it. Zucchini would be a good one too.

6. Add one extra to your favorite stir-fry or pasta recipe. If the recipe calls for 3 veggies, go for 4. Every little bit helps.

7. Start your day right and make your breakfast meet at least 2 servings of fruits and vegetables. An omelet with veggies, or yogurt with berries can quickly increase the odds that you’ll get your 7.

8. Try dried. Dried fruit makes a very easy and portable snack. Just be sure to read the portion size and add some protein in the form of nuts or seeds to balance out the meal.

9. Try them as a dip. Guacamole is an obvious choice; but you can also go with a yogurt dip with cucumbers, or even a fruit-based salsa . Both of which would help you meet your goal.

10. Buy what you’ll eat. If you don’t like peppers, try to find something else in the red/orange color family, like tomatoes. We try to eat a different color at every dinner at our house, which makes it even more likely that my children will get their daily 7, too.