Did you know that March is National Nutrition Month? Yes, it sure is! I’ve got the info to get you eating healthy for the month and easily continue through the year. I know you thought 31 days would be a breeze, but 365 days of nutritional intake can take your health to a new level. For starters, it is important to know the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables for the day. Fruits and vegetables are important in your everyday diet because they provide the body with numerous vitamins and minerals. Adult men and women should make sure they are getting at least 2 cups of fruits per day and 3 cups of vegetables per day. Children should make sure they are getting 1 to 1 ½ cups of fruits and vegetables for the day. So how can you incorporate more fruits and vegetables in your diet?
Here are some tips to help increase the fruits and vegetables into your diet:
- Mix up a breakfast smoothie made with low-fat milk and fruits of your choice.
- Add color to salads with baby carrots, grape tomatoes, spinach leaves, or mandarin oranges.
- Place colorful fruit where everyone can easily grab something for a snack on the run.
- Stuff an omelet with vegetables.
- Examples of vegetables to include in your omelet are peppers, tomatoes, carrots, or onions.
- Try crunchy vegetables instead of chips with your favorite low-fat salad dressing for dipping.
- Grill colorful vegetable kabobs packed with tomatoes, green and red peppers, mushrooms, and onions
- Make fruit your dessert. An example of fruit as a dessert would be cutting a banana lengthwise and topping it with a scoop of low-fat yogurt.
Do these ideas make you want to eat more fruits and vegetables? Yes….No…Maybe? If it didn’t stimulate your appetite, let’s see if the suggested recipe below will bring excitement.
Chili is a quick and easy dinner to make. I’m going to tell you a secret about the chili…it contains vegetables and it is healthy! This is a secret that you should pass on to family and friends.
1 can beans, low-sodium undrained (pinto, kidney, red, or black 15.5 ounces)
1 can corn, drained (15 ounces, or 10-ounce package of frozen corn)
1 can crushed tomatoes, undrained (15 ounces)
chili powder (to taste)
1) Place the contents of all 3 cans into a pan.
2) Add chili powder to taste.
3) Stir to mix
4) Continue to stir over medium heat until heated thoroughly.
5) Refrigerate leftovers.
Recipe from: https://whatscooking.fns.usda.gov/recipes/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap/3-can-chili
Enjoy and come back soon to see what is being cooked up!
-Aerial Woody, EFNEP Intern