We all know by now that we should eat at least five servings of fruit and vegetables daily. However, knowing and doing are two different things, aren’t they? Sometimes, it is just not easy to get them all in there. We are constantly tempted to fill up on convenience and junk food. If your family is anything like mine, they would instead fill up on a bag of chips or a bowl of rice or pasta instead of trying an apple or a plate of steamed broccoli. So, we will have to get creative. Here are a few ideas to “sneak” some extra vegetables and fruits into your family’s diet. 

1.     Start the day with a breakfast smoothie. All you have to do is throw some fruits, low-fat yogurt, and ice in a blender. You may also want to add a scoop of protein powder there. Blend briefly, and you will have the perfect breakfast ready. I like to sip mine in a thermal cup on the way to work. To make it even more appealing for your kids, use some frozen yogurt or a scoop of ice cream in the smoothie. They will not believe you are letting them have ice cream for breakfast.

 2.     Dried fruit makes an excellent snack any time of the day. Add some small cartons of raisins to your child’s lunch box, pack some yogurt-covered raisins in your partner’s bag, and keep some trail mix for snacking. You can also add dried fruit to oatmeal and cereal in the morning. My family loves banana chips in their breakfast cereal. 

3.     Add fruit and vegetables to your family’s sandwiches. For example, you can add bananas, sliced apples, or strawberry slices to a peanut butter sandwich. You can top a turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and anything else they will eat. You can even make a sub-shop-style vegetable sandwich by combining several vegetables with some mayonnaise and cheese on bread.

 4.     Have a salad bar at dinner. Set out a variety of chopped vegetables, some cheese and croutons, several choices of salad dressing, and lettuce, and let everybody create their perfect salad.

 5.     Let them drink their fruits and vegetables. Keep an assortment of fruit and vegetable juices in the fridge and encourage everyone to drink them as a snack. Get creative. You could start “family cocktail hour” by pouring everybody a glass of his or her favorite juice over ice. Add some straws and cocktail umbrellas and sit together to discuss how everybody’s day went.

 6.     Try this for dessert. Put a small scoop of ice cream or frozen yogurt in a bowl and top it with lots of fresh or frozen fruit.

 7.     Offer fruits and vegetables as snacks. You can cut apples into slices and top them with peanut butter or cheese. Cube cheese and serve with grapes. Cut up some fresh veggies and serve them with ranch dip. Moreover, of course, there are ants on a log. Spread some cream cheese or peanut butter inside a celery stick and sprinkle raisins on it (wow, fruit and vegetables in one snack).

 8.     Try some new fruits and vegetables. Pick something exotic to pique your family’s curiosity. Their curiosity will outweigh their initial apprehension about trying something new with a small quantity of luck. You could try artichokes, plantains, papaya, mango, star fruit, or anything else you can find in the produce department of your local store.

 9.     Make a pot of vegetable soup or a stew heavy on veggies and easy on the meat. Both of these make some great comfort food when the weather gets cold.

 10.  Start “My Veggie Day”. Each family member gets to pick a vegetable one day of the week. They qualify to pick a vegetable as long as they tried each vegetable the week before; otherwise, they lose a turn, and Mom gets to pick.

 Incorporate a few of these ideas, and soon, everyone in your family will eat more fruits and vegetables.

 Here is another tip:

 Now that everyone in the family has tasted it make sure you always have plenty of fresh fruits and veggies available and ready to snack on.