You don’t need me to tell you that you should be eating your fruits and veggies. Not getting your daily dose deprives your body of important vitamins and minerals, lowers your energy levels and can clog up some important internal pipes.
Getting your full dose of fruits and veggies can also help offset the side effects of those late night munchies and adult beverages. It is easier than you think to fit in the recommended amount, so if you find yourself lagging for lack of real food, keep reading.
Breakfast
Photo by Madison Mounty
This is probably the easiest meal to fit in some fruit. Slicing a banana on top of cereal, oatmeal, or peanut butter toast gets you halfway through your daily fruit requirement. A half cup of dried fruit on yogurt or an apple with your morning Pop-Tart will also do the trick.
Sadly though, that glass of orange juice does not count as fruit. In fact, with 21 g of sugar in an 8 fl oz. serving, it could lead to a crash an hour or two later, or worse.
Fruit Tally: 1/2 Vegetable Tally: 0/3
Snack
Photo by Maggie Gorman
Even with a hearty, fruit-filled breakfast, you are still going to need constant fuel to power your way through all those morning classes that you foolishly signed up for. An apple with peanut butter or a cup of carrots with hummus are easily packed to snack on in class. Or maybe you’re more of and strawberry and Nutella person.
Whatever your preference, swapping out those chips for a serving of produce will not only energize you more efficiently but get you one serving closer to your daily goal.
Fruit Tally: 2/2 Vegetable Tally: 0/3
Lunch
Photo by Bernard Wen
If you have had a serving of fruit for breakfast and as a snack, congrats, you have eaten all the fruit you need today. Now it’s time to tackle the veggies. Salad is always an easy way to get in tons of vegetables but just remember that it take two cups of leafy greens to get a full serving. If you want to learn to make these delicious salads in the picture click here.
If you, like many, prefer more than a simple a salad for a meal, try microwaving 2 cups of spinach and mixing it into some leftover pasta. Learning to microwave spinach can change your whole veggie game. From omelets to pizza and even ramen, spinach is incredibly easy to incorporate into your lunchtime meal.
Fruit Tally: 2/2 Vegetable Tally: 1/3
Dinner
Photo by Alex Weiner
So far you’ve eaten all the fruit you need, and one serving of vegetables. You’re in the home stretch with only two more servings of vegetables to go. I find dinner to be the most convenient meal to sneak in some veggies. A cup of sliced peppers and a cup of broccoli stir fried with chicken and rice is something I never get tired of.
Sides like a cup of mashed sweet potatoes, green beans with salt and butter, or a cup of steamed corn are all super easy ways to eat your vegetables and go with almost any main dish. Cauliflower is having it’s 10 minutes of fame, so check out some recipes here for even more ways to incorporate your daily veggies.
Fruit Tally: 2/2 Vegetable Tally: 3/3
WOOHOO you did it, superstar! Don’t you feel so much better with all that fiber coursing through your digestive track? I know I do. You may not get in all your produce everyday but making an effort is half the battle. Also don’t be afraid to mix things up, you’re an adult and nobody can tell you how to eat your veggies.
For more sneaky ways to get all that goodness inside you look at these articles: