Habit of the Week #3 - Eat More Fruits and Veggies!

For the first two weeks of this year, we've been working on drinking more water and less soda and other sugary drinks. This week, we're going to focus on eating more fruits and vegetables. Fruits and veggies are full of vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and phytonutrients, and they help prevent heart disease and stroke, control blood pressure, prevent some types of cancer, and protect against vision loss. One of the best things you can do for yourself is to add more of these to your diet!

My daughter Christina snacking on a mandarin orange

To get started, get your daily planner out, and write, "Eat more fruits and veggies!" as this week's new habit. Start planning some meals and snacks that add up to five to nine servings a day. It will take a little planning to make sure you have your bases covered if you're not used to eating like this.

For more info on how eating more whole foods can change you for the better, read my post, "Change Your Diet, Change Your Life! "

Here are some ideas to add more fruits and veggies to your life:

Breakfast - make a veggie scramble with two eggs, chopped asparagus, onions, peppers, and mushrooms, and have some fruit on the side, like fresh berries, a banana or a tangerine. Another idea is a Greek yogurt, fruit, and granola bowl topped with some slivered almonds and walnuts. Yum! Or try one of my daughters' favorite breakfasts: avocado toast and a fried egg.

If you would like to jump ahead and see the whole list of 52 simple changes to work on this year for a new and improved you, click here.

Lunch - have a delicious salad with lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, celery, tomatoes, berries, nuts, and grilled chicken, or try a sandwich with some meat and lots of lettuce, sprouts, cucumber, tomatoes and avocado. Add a banana or tangerine for dessert!

Dinner - along with your main course have some stir-fried or steamed veggies or a nice salad.

Snack ideas - fruit smoothies, carrot sticks, celery with peanut butter, sliced veggies with hummus or dip, or fruit (such as apples, bananas, oranges, grapes, cherries) with a piece of cheese or some nuts.