When it comes to adding a healthy diet to your family’s life, it can seem hard at first. It is important to remember that there is not one perfect diet for everyone, nor is it something that can be reached in one day. Eating a healthy diet, or following a healthy lifestyle, is a result of everyday choices that turn into daily habits. New habits can always be adopted, and what better time to do that than the New Year?
One of the simplest ways to eat a healthier diet is to increase the amount and type of fruits and vegetables you and your family consume. In order to do this it is important to have fruits and vegetables ready to go so that you can add them to every meal. Thankfully there are different options for buying fruits and vegetables like fresh, frozen, and canned. Buying fresh produce, like apples or carrots, makes for a quick and nutritious snack. Buying frozen produce, like assorted vegetables or mixed berries, will help you to always have a fruit or vegetable on hand because they last much longer. The same goes for canned produce, like corn or tomatoes, as they store well and can easily be added to soups and stews.
Setting small goals is a great place to start to increase your family’s fruit and vegetables. The ideas for goals are limitless, but here are a few you could start with.
- Try one new fruit or vegetable each week during the month of January.
- Have a fruit and/or vegetable at every meal for 1 week.
- Find one new way to add fruits and vegetables into your meals every week during the month of January.
- Examples:
- Add spinach to smoothies
- Top cereal with fruit
- Add mushrooms or peppers to egg dishes
- Examples:
Eating more fruits and vegetables is great for your health, and finding easy, enjoyable ways to add more to your diet is important. Remember, start small, and before you know it you will have added more fruits and vegetables! What goals are you and your family going to set to eat more fruits and vegetables this year?
Written by: Libby Robertson, EFNEP Volunteer