Janice Newell Bissex, MS, RD and Liz Weiss, MS, RD, Co-authors, The Moms' Guide to Meal Makeovers
The Meal Makeover Moms have created a series of online videos featuring cooking demonstrations and mealtime/pantry tips. Discover easy ways to improve your family's diet by watching more of their how-to videos.
Eat more fruits and vegetables: That’s the mantra from the CDC, the Produce for Better Health Foundation and the government’s new My Pyramid. But just how much is enough? If you go to www.MyPyramid.gov, you can customize the pyramid to your individual needs. For example, it’s suggested that an active 8-year old eats 2 cups of vegetables and 1-1/2 cups of fruit a day. Here’s what that looks like: 5 cooked broccoli florets, 1/2 cup corn kernels, 1 large baked sweet potato, 1 small apple, and 5 strawberries. Here are several simple ways to increase your family’s fruit and veggie consumption – and the amazing health benefits that go with it:
• Make a Smoothie: Blend together 1 cup 100% fruit juice, 1/2 ripe banana, a handful of frozen strawberries (or any frozen fruit), and 1/2 cup vanilla or fruited lowfat yogurt. This makes about 3 servings.
• Dice It Up or Shred It: Sauté a finely diced red or orange bell pepper or a shredded carrot with your lean ground beef or turkey in recipes such as sloppy Joes, tacos, and chili.
• Kick Up the Flavor: Turn steamed broccoli from so-so to sensational by drizzling with extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of coarse or kosher salt.
• Dip It: Dip lots of strawberries in a little bit of semi-sweet chocolate chips for an after-school snack.
• Snack Attack: For your child’s morning snack at school, stick to fruits and vegetables such as grapes, sliced oranges, watermelon cubes, carrots with dip, or crunchy green beans.
