NOT sure how to increase your fruit and vegetable intake? Start the day with 100 per cent fruit or vegetable juice. Slice bananas or strawberries on top of your cereal. Have a salad with lunch, and carrot sticks for an afternoon snack. Include a vegetable with dinner and you already have the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. If you need more than five, try adding a piece of fruit for a snack or an extra vegetable (like carrots or green beans) at dinner.

. There are so many choices when selecting fruits and vegetables. Have you ever tried kiwi fruit? How about asparagus? Try something new that helps you reach your goal.

. Keep things fresh and interesting by combining fruits and vegetables of different flavours and colours, such as red grapes with pineapple chunks, or cucumbers and red peppers.

. When you keep fruits and vegetables visible and easily accessible, you tend to eat more; for instance, store cut-and-cleaned produce at eye-level in the refrigerator, or keep a big bowl of fruit on the table.

You can get some of your fruits and vegetables at restaurants too. Try some of these healthy choices:

. veggie pizza

. pasta with vegetables (but watch out for those high-fat cream sauces)

. fresh vegetable wraps

. vegetable soup

. small salad (instead of fries)

. plenty of fresh vegetables from the salad bar.

FRUIT AS FAST FOOD

. Buy ready-to-eat packaged fresh vegetables that are already cleaned. Pre-cut vegetables and salad mixes are a terrific time-saver. You’ll find them at your local supermarket.

. A fast food alternative? Your local supermarket may offer prepared items, including sliced melons, fresh pineapple, salad mixes, and a salad bar to satisfy your hunger.

. Fruit – an apple or orange, or a zip lock bag and fill with sweet cherries, grapes, dried dates, figs, prunes, raisins, or apricots

. Vegetables – carrot sticks, broccoli, or some red, yellow, and green pepper. Try dipping your vegetables in low-fat or non-fat salad dressing.

. In a hurry for a healthy treat? Pick fruits and vegetables that require little peeling or chopping, like baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, cauliflower, grapes, broccoli spears, an apple, a banana, or a box of 100 per cent fruit or vegetable juice.

. Here’s a great way to get a variety of fruits and vegetables in your daily diet. Buy low-fat or non-fat yogurt, fruit juice and fresh, canned, or frozen fruit to blend a quick fruit smoothie. Get juicy! Buy 100 per cent fruit or vegetable juice to quench your thirst and take care of one serving of your daily five fruit and vegetable allowance.

THE PERFECT TOPPING

Try these tasty additions on your salad:

. Green or red pepper strips, broccoli florets, carrot slices, or cucumber add crunch to your pasta or potato salad.

. Baby carrots, shredded cabbage, or spinach leaves bring colour to a green salad.

. Apple chunks, pineapples, and raisins perk up coleslaw, chicken or tuna salads.

. Oranges, grapefruit, or nectarine slices add extra flavour to any salad.

. Fruit juice, flavoured vinegars or herbs make low-fat salad dressings tasty without adding fat or salt.

. Add sliced banana, blueberries or raisins to cereal.

. Add fresh fruit and vegetables to foods you already eat – like berries and bananas to yogurt and cereal; vegetables to pasta and pizza; and lettuce, tomato and onion to sandwiches.

. Put some punch into your party by blending 100 per cent fruit juices to create a refreshing new concoction. Try mixing pineapple, orange, grapefruit or other fruit juices. Add a slice of lemon or lime as a garnish.

JUST ZAP IT

. Using a microwave is fast and fun. Quickly ‘zap’ vegetables or a potato and retain their nutrients.

. Grill fruits or vegetables in aluminum foil, or use skewers of pineapple, yellow squash, eggplant, nectarines, zucchini, or cherry tomatoes, onions, mushrooms. Place over medium-hot coals for a flavourful BBQ treat.

. Make a quick smoothie in the blender by puréeing peaches and/or nectarines, a touch of your favourite fruit juice, crushed ice and a light sprinkling of nutmeg.

. Make homemade salsa with tomatoes, mangoes, avocados, red onions, cilantro and lime juice.

. Looking for a fun appetiser when you entertain? Try making spears of fruit by attaching strawberries, grapes, melon slices or pineapple chunks onto small skewers. Use low-fat or non-fat yogurt for a dip.

. Here’s a quick fruit salad you can make in less than a minute. Open a can of juice-packed mandarin oranges and empty into a bowl. Add

a sliced banana, a sliced apple and some blueberries or raisins.

. Cool off with a great treat! Pour 100 per cent fruit or vegetable juice into an ice cube tray or popsicle mould.

.Eat your fruit in their own containers. Kiwifruit comes with its own serving cup and cantaloupe with its own serving bowl. Just cut them in half through the middle and scoop out each half with a spoon.

MINI MAGIC

. Top off a bowl of cereal with a smiling face of sliced bananas for eyes, raisins for a nose, and an orange slice for a mouth.

. You can use broccoli florets for trees, carrots and celery for flowers, cauliflower for clouds, and a yellow squash for a sun. When you’re all done, you can eat your masterpiece!

. Make frozen fruit kabobs for kids using pineapple chunks, bananas, grapes and berries. (CDC)