5 To 9 a day for Better Health

Surf this site for some awesome information about our nation wide initiative to promote better health by eating more fruits and vegetables. 

The 5 A Day program stresses the important role fruits and vegetables play in chronic disease prevention and offers personalized fruit and veggie plans based on your age, gender and physical activity level.

Tips to increase your fruit and vegetable intake:

·Add frozen or fresh vegetables to canned soup

·Steam vegetables along with pasta and serve with tomato sauce

·Think beyond the iceberg! Vary your salad greens: use spinach, romaine, watercress, chicory, or escarole.

·Serve on a bed of greens. Arrange grilled or roasted fish, chicken, or meat atop tender-crisp green beans or wilted spinach.

·Get leafy. Tuck chopped fresh spinach and other greens into sandwiches, pita, and wraps—and in lasagna, risotto, pasta dishes and burritos.

·Snack on raw greens: raw broccoli spears, asparagus spears, zucchini slices, or crisp snow peas.

·Instead of lasagna noodles, try eggplant slices in lasagna

·Slice bananas into all types of cereal

·Top cakes and frozen desserts with sliced berries or peaches

·Use chopped fruit in breads or muffins

·Add chopped apricots, apples, dried cranberries or pears to a green salad.

A serving of fruits and vegetables is:

• 1 medium fruit or 1/2 cup small or cut-up fruit
• 3/4 cup 100% fruit juice
• 1/4 cup dried fruit (such as raisins, dates, apricots)
• 1/2 cup raw or cooked vegetables
• 1 cup raw leafy vegetables (such as lettuce, spinach, kale)
• 1/2 cup cooked beans or peas (kidney beans, pinto beans, lentils)