Celebrate the Season with Fruits & Veggies

A guest post from Produce for Better Health Foundation.

The arrival of the holiday season means it’s time for celebration. At this festive time of year a person can find themselves eating on the run, skipping meals, eating too much, or too often. Don’t neglect your health! Fill your belly with the fruits and vegetables of the season for a happy, healthy holiday.

Here are some tips for incorporating delicious and healthy fruit and vegetables dishes into your holiday.

• Start every meal with a festive salad; top mixed greens with your favorite veggies, then add sliced apples or pears, dried cranberries, mandarin orange segments, or shiny pomegranate seeds. Delight your palette with unexpected salad ingredients like jicama or avocado. For another beautiful salad option, slice a variety of citrus fruits such as tangerines, grapefruits and naval oranges, top with torn fresh basil leaves, then drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

• Soup makes a great beginning for a meal and it’s a wonderful way to fill up without adding many calories, as long as you stay away from the cream-based type. A broth-based soup containing red bell peppers, orange carrots, yellow corn and green peas is warm, satisfying, and colorful.

• Vegetable medleys make an attractive side dish expanding the meal’s flavor. Try adding a small amount of chopped nuts or fun shaped pasta to mixed veggies to make them more special than your average weeknight dinner fare.

• Fruit can serve as the centerpiece at mealtime and then be passed around when it’s time for dessert. Slice off the leafy pineapple top, place it in the center of a platter and surround it with a combination of pineapple chunks, strawberries, grapes, kiwifruit, orange sections, apple slices or other fruit. Sprinkle with lemon or lime juice and toss on a handful of dried fruit or your favorite nuts.

There are other ways to incorporate fruits and vegetables into your holiday celebrations besides just on the menu.

• Put out festive baskets or bowls filled with a beautiful arrangement of seasonal fruits & veggies as decorations at your next holiday get-together. Unlike flowers or other decorative displays, they can be eaten as part of post-party meals saving you the trouble of disposing of flowers.

• Teach your child the spirit of giving by helping you donate non-perishable fruits & veggies to a local food pantry or homeless shelter. You can also suggest that they donate old clothes or toys they no longer play with as a way to make room for anticipated holiday gifts. This helps others while teaching your child a valuable lesson by letting them feel the joy of giving.

There are many wonderful recipes that feature winter fruits and vegetables. Balsamic Citrus Carrots and Crazy Curly Broccoli Bake are two festive side-dishes that will add a beautiful combination of colors and fun to the holiday table. If you’re looking for a few fun, yet educational gift ideas, surf over to www.pbhcatalog.com for some inexpensive items that make great stocking stuffers or gift exchange presents for all the young children and teachers on your list. More seasonal fruit & vegetable inspiration can be found online at www.FruitsAndVeggiesMoreMatters.org.

Happy Holidays to you and your families.