I am thrilled to announce the release of my first e-book, 5-Minute Meals. This has been a project of mine for a couple of years now.
I love food and enjoy cooking, but I don’t want to spend all of my free time in the kitchen. I’d rather be outdoors, playing tennis or relaxing with friends. I realized that many of my clients felt the same way. So I decided to write this book, to share my favorite quick-and-easy recipes with the world. Continue reading
Anyone who has ever eaten a freshly picked fruit or vegetable will agree: there is nothing as satisfying or delicious as garden-fresh produce. And with spring finally here, there’s no better time to start a vegetable garden so that you too can enjoy the fruits of this season’s bounty. To learn how to pick, plant, and prosper from your very own vegetable garden, just follow the tips below.
A guest post from the Produce for Better Health Foundation.
Summer and grilling go together perfectly! Cooking outside on the grill offers plenty of advantages that make mealtime easy, convenient, and tasty. Preparation is simple, it requires minimal clean-up, and the kitchen stays cool. Add variety to meals and lighten up the menu by tossing some healthy fruits and vegetables on the grill.
There are several great reasons to grill fruits and veggies. USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 recommends filling half your plate with fruits and vegetables at each meal and snack. Grilling is an easy, and tasty, way to fulfill that recommendation. Fruit naturally contains sugar and, when combined with the heat of the grill, it caramelizes, making the fruit taste even sweeter. Grilled vegetables are delicious, healthy, easy to cook, and they offer countless options from which to choose. Once you grill fruits and vegetables, their wonderful flavor will have you doing it again and again.
There are hundreds of different grilling ideas for fruits and vegetables. Grill peaches and nectarines then dice them and make a salsa by adding fresh herbs, chili peppers and lime juice. Grill corn on the cob by husking it, sprinkling on a mix of seasonings such as oregano, pepper, chili powder and salt with a touch of butter, then wrap in aluminum foil and grill until tender. Or grill your dessert! Slice pealed bananas in half lengthwise and sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar, place on aluminum foil flat side down, and let it sizzle. It’s unexpected and delicious!
Eating a colorful variety of fruits and veggies provides a wide range of valuable nutrients like fiber, vitamins and potassium, and most Americans aren’t eating enough of them. Grilling is a delicious and fun way to add more fruits and vegetables to your summertime meals.
The Fruits & Veggies—More Matters website, www.FruitsAndVeggiesMoreMatters.org, has even more tips on grilling fruits and vegetables and advice on gearing up for the grill. There you’ll also find user-friendly advice on how to add more fruits and vegetables to your diet; including, recipes, nutrition information, tips for getting kids to eat fruits and vegetables, and even videos. Check out the videos that discuss grilling peaches and nectarines, asparagus, watermelon, avocados, bell peppers, and even canned fruits & veggies!
I have a new love… spaghetti squash. This nutrient-rich vegetable can replace pasta in any of your favorite recipes. It adds a little color, a slight crunch, and will leave you feeling light and energized.
Here’s a quick and easy way to cook it in the microwave:
Allow it to cool, and then use a fork or spoon to tease out the spaghetti-like strands.A guest post by the Produce for Better Health Foundation.
A new study suggests that if parents smile while eating something that they want their children to eat that those kids are more likely to try it. Researchers found that how much children wanted to eat a particular food was influenced by emotions displayed by people eating that food.
These results build on a study published in late 2008 in the journal Preventive Medicine suggesting that parents can increase the amount of fruits and vegetables their children eat simply by eating more themselves. In this study, researchers found that when parents increased their own consumption of fruits and veggies, their kid’s consumption rose as well.
Parents have a tremendous influence on what their children eat. These studies demonstrate that this influence extends from simply making fruits and vegetables available for their children, to modeling their own enjoyment of eating a healthy diet.
Shape your kid’s eating habits and help them develop a healthy attitude toward food by making sure they see you eating plenty of nutritious, delicious, fruits and vegetables.
Here is some good advice for parents:
Try making Crazy Curly Broccoli Bake for dinner. It’s one of the kid-friendly recipes you’ll find on the Fruits & Veggies—More Matters website.
More ways to get children to eat more fruits and veggies can be found at the Fruits & Veggies—More Matters website, www.FruitsAndVeggiesMoreMatters.org. Parents will also find a database of over 1,000 recipes, many of which can be made in 30 minutes or less, and tips for eating healthy on a budget. The entire website was designed to help the whole family easily fit more fruits & veggies into their meals and snacks.
March is here, and that means it’s officially National Nutrition Month®! I love this year’s theme, Eat Right with Color. A wonderful way to boost the nutritional quality of your diet and improve your health is to add more colorful fruits and vegetables to your meals and snacks. Different colored fruits and vegetables contain different types of cancer-fighting antioxidants, which is why we should eat a rainbow of colorful fruits and vegetables.
How many fruits and vegetables should we eat each day?
The slogan used to be “5 A Day for Better Health,” but now we’ve discovered that’s not enough for most individuals to experience the maximum health benefits. Today, the Produce for Better Health Foundation’s slogan is “More Matters,” because most people will improve their health by increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables they eat. The new 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends filling half your plate with fruits and vegetables at every meal and snack. This will help ensure you’re eating enough nutrients and may help prevent overindulging in higher calorie foods.
Fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables. Now, that’s Eating Right with Color!
I never thought roasted winter vegetables could make my mouth water. But, as I continue to experiment with new recipes, I continue to find new passions for foods I thought I disliked. Take beets, for example. The unwelcome canned beets I occasionally found on my salad at restaurants led me to believe I disliked all beets. But fresh, oven-roasted beets, with their mildly sweet flavor and crimson crunch, I love. You, too, might find you like them if you’re willing to give them a try.
Roasting vegetables is very simple, and practically fail-proof. Here is the recipe I used today:
Ingredients:
Directions:
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.
There are other ways to incorporate fruits and vegetables into your holiday celebrations besides just on the menu.
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.
A guest post from Produce for Better Health Foundation.
November is here and winter celebrations are on their way. No matter what the holiday, the dining room table always seems to be the center of festivities. While everyone enjoys their traditional family recipes, it can be fun to incorporate new dishes to the meal and the options for delicious, healthy dishes are endless.
Some of the season’s best, like parsnips (pictured), turnips, and winter squash, are prefect additions to stews, soups and roasts. Other in-season items, like sweet potatoes, cranberries and pumpkin, are traditionally associated with celebratory meals.
Even if your families’ favorite fruits & veggies aren’t in season you can still enjoy them for the holiday because All Forms Count! Canned, frozen and dried fruits and vegetables can be less expensive than their fresh counterparts and are just as nutritious because they are processed immediately after harvest.
Fruits and vegetables may help reduce the risk of many diseases, including heart disease, high blood pressure, and some cancers. They are naturally low in calories and they provide fiber that helps keep your digestive system working well. Fruits and veggies are rich in vitamins and minerals that your body needs to feel healthy and energized. Everyone can benefit from eating more fruits and vegetables, so pledge to fill at least half of your plate with them!
Make the season come alive with the vibrant colors of fruits and vegetables. Before the meal, offer a vegetable tray that includes blanched asparagus or green beans, red and green bell pepper strips and your favorite colorful raw veggies. Serve a couple different flavors of low-fat dressing, hummus, or guacamole as dips. A variety of dips to choose from keeps everyone happy. Keep seasonal fruit on hand for delicious and nutritious snacks.
There are many wonderful recipes calling for autumn produce that can make an appearance on the holiday table. Sweet Potato and Pear Soup makes a delicious meal starter, and Honey-Roasted Parsnips are a great seasonal side dish. If you’re in search of help for hosting that big meal, look at our autumn entertaining hints, and check out our other recipes online at www.FruitsAndVeggiesMoreMatters.org too!
Posted in Fruits and Veggies
Tagged holiday recipes, parsnips, produce for better health foundation
A guest post from Produce for Better Health Foundation.
Autumn is officially here. School has started and our schedules are tight. Some evenings it’s difficult to gather the entire family for a meal, much less find the time to prepare one! How do you ensure that healthy eating stays on top of your priority list?
Serving healthy meals and snacks can be easier than it seems – even for the busiest household. With a just a little planning, you can stay prepared for those last-minute meals and snack attacks that might otherwise send you running for the drive-thru. Planning ahead for snacks and meals that are both nutritious and delicious is the key to success.
Making a weekly menu and shopping list is the best way to plan for healthy meals that include fruits and vegetables. Before heading to the store, plan out and write down what you and your family will be eating for the next week. It’s helpful to have the calendar with all the family member’s activity schedules within reach because this will dictate which day’s meals need to be made (and eaten) quickly.
Write out a menu plan of what you want to eat and when. Then write down any ingredients for those dishes that you don’t already have at home and you’ve just filled out your shopping list! Choosing all the meals and snacks in advance will enable you to make sure that everything you need to fix these dishes is purchased, saving you time by avoiding extra trips later in the week.
Don’t forget about all the work that the store can do for you to save you time on meal prep at home. A fresh cut veggie tray can be reapportioned into smaller containers once home to go in packed lunches for the whole family. A fresh cut fruit salad makes a great addition to breakfast, or buy a bag of assorted whole fruits for grab-and-go enjoyment. A bagged salad is quick to portion out. Add a rotisserie chicken and dinner’s almost complete!
Take advantage of extra time when you have it. Make a double batch of a veggie-packed casserole recipe or lasagna, then freeze half for a quick meal another day. Cook more ground beef or turkey than your recipe calls for, and then use the surplus to save time the next day.
If you’re looking for some new (and healthy) recipes to spice up your routine, check out the recipe section of www.FruitsAndVeggiesMoreMatters.org. 
There is even a special section of recipes that can be made in 30 minutes or less! Here are two great recipes calling for autumn produce to get your meal planning started, Apple Chicken Stir-Fry and Beef Stroganoff.
Visit www.FruitsAndVeggiesMoreMatters.org for user-friendly advice on adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet; including, recipes, nutrition information, tips for getting kids to eat fruits and vegetables, and even videos. Follow Fruits & Veggies—More Matters on Facebook or Twitter to get the latest fruit and veggie news.
Nicole Geurin, MPH, RD 