Fruit & Veggies: How to Get 9 a Day

Think it’s too tough to get nine servings of fruits and vegetables each day? It may be easier than you’d imagine. The key is to have fresh foods on hand, which means planning ahead and shopping often for groceries.

The five-day menu below includes a variety of fruits and vegetables, but you don’t have to live in the produce section to improve your diet. Try this: Every week, buy your “staple” fruits and veggies (those you know that you like) and one fruit and one veggie that you’ve never tried or one you’ve sampled and would like to try again. Stop at the grocery store or farmers’ market about twice a week. Once home, use fruits as snacks and add vegetables to dishes you are already eating (for example, add spinach and zucchini to lasagna and top pizza with vegetables). Before you know it, you’ll be getting your nine a day!

Day 1

Breakfast: 2 egg whites; 1 cup oatmeal (plain, made with water), topped with 4 walnut halves and cinnamon

Snack: 1 small banana; 6 ounces nonfat yogurt

Lunch: 2 ounces skinless turkey breast; 2 slices whole wheat bread; 2 cups lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onion; 1 tablespoon salad dressing; 1 1/4 cups strawberries

Snack: 1 small apple; 1 tablespoon peanut butter

Dinner: 3 ounces chicken breast; 2/3 cup pasta; 2 tsp olive oil; 1 cup cooked spinach; 1 cup skim milk; 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

Snack: 1/2 cup baby carrots; 6 ounces nonfat yogurt

Day 2

Breakfast: 4 ounces orange juice; 3/4 cup whole grain, low-sugar cereal; 1 cup nonfat milk

Snack: 1/2 cup sliced kiwi; 1/4 cup cottage cheese; 3 graham crackets, 2 1/2 inches square

Lunch: 3 ounces tuna, packed in water, mixed with 1 tsp mayonnaise; 2 slices whole wheat bread; lettuce and tomato; 1/2 cup string beans

Snack: 1 small pear; 6 ounces nonfat yogurt

Dinner: 3 ounces salmon; 2 tsp olive oil; 1/3 cup brown rice; 2 tsp margarine; 1 cup cooked zucchini; 1/2 cup steamed carrots

Snack: 8 animal crackers; 1 small banana; 8 ounces nonfat milk

Day 3

Breakfast: 1 hard-boiled egg; 2 slices whole wheat bread; 2 teaspoons margarine; 1/2 grapefruit

Snack: 1/2 cup canned pineapple (in natural juices); 6 ounces nonfat yogurt

Lunch: Quesadilla consisting of two 6-inch flour tortillas, 2 ounces grilled chicken, 1/2 cup salsa, 2 ounces reduced-fat cheddar cheese; 2 cups lettuce, tomato, and corn salad topped with 1/2 cup salsa and 1/2 cup black beans; 2 tangerines

Snack: 6 ounces nonfat vanilla yogurt mixed with 1 ounce (about 1/4 cup) mixed nuts and 3/4 cup mixed berries

Dinner: Stuffed pepper consisting of 1 large green pepper (inside scooped out); 2 ounces ground turkey, diced onions, scallions, mushrooms, 1/2 cup brown rice, 2 tsp olive oil

Snack: 8 ounces nonfat milk

Day 4

Breakfast: 1 1/2 cups puffed rice cereal; 2 tablespoons raisins, one 4-ounce banana sliced, 1 cup nonfat milk

Snack: 1 1/4 cups watermelon, cubed; 1/2 whole wheat English muffin; 1 tablespoon peanut butter

Lunch: Wrap consisting of 2 ounces low-fat ham, 1 ounce reduced-fat cheese, 1 teaspoon mayonnaise, lettuce, and tomato; 1/2 cup baby carrots; 17 grapes

Snack: 1 cup raw vegetables (carrots, green pepper, red pepper, cucumber) dipped into 2 tablespoons fat-free salad dressing; 1 cup nonfat milk

Dinner: 3 ounces tilapia; 1 cup pasta with 1 cup tomato, diced, 1/2 cup cooked spinach, 2 teaspoons olive oil, and 6 almonds, slivered

Snack: 6 ounces nonfat yogurt

Day 5

Breakfast: 2 whole grain, low-fat waffles topped with 3/4 cup blueberries; 6 ounces nonfat yogurt

Snack: 6 saltine crackers; 2 ounces reduced-fat cheese; 1 cup cantaloupe

Lunch: 1/2 bagel topped with 1/2 cup hummus; 1/2 cucumber, sliced; 1/4 cup onion slices; 1 cup asparagus, cooked and chilled

Snack: 1/2 cup canned fruit cocktail, in light juice; 1 cup nonfat milk

Dinner: 3 ounces flank steak; 1/2 cup cooked mushrooms; 1 cup steamed broccoli; 3 ounce baked potato with 2 tablespoons sour cream

Snack: 1 orange; 1 cup nonfat milk

— Kristen Gilmore Leon, RD

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