Tired of chewing the same old carrot stick in order to get a serving of veggies into your day? We know the feeling: with daily recommendations of fruits and vegetables coming in at 1 to 2½ cups (depending on your age and gender) getting your daily servings can seem daunting. But keep the faith! With this Idea-a-Day list made for any month (start now, or hang it on your fridge for July) you’re guaranteed to find at least one new way of getting a daily serving every day of the month.
So ditch the bare celery sticks and start mixing it up. Try one new idea every day, or combine 2 or 3 ideas together with your own regular servings of fruits and veggies for a month of better health and disease prevention. (Feeding a family? Many are kid-friendly!)
Idea-a-Day: An Easy, Printable List for a Whole Month of Fruits & Veggies
Day 1: Start your day with a glass of juice.
Day 2: Pile lettuce leaves and tomato slices on your sandwich for lunch.
Day 3: Have slices of avocado with a half piece of pita bread for a snack.
Day 4: Add ½ cup salsa to a dinnertime baked potato.
Day 5: Munch a pear before going out to dinner (it will replace the “bread” course when you get there).
Day 6: Eat six strawberries for breakfast on yogurt or cereal.
Day 7: Eat fifteen grapes with lunch.
Day 8: Have four slices of onion (no deep frying) with dinner or a sandwich.
Day 9: Add a half of a baked sweet potato to your plate during dinner.
Day 10: Serve fresh berries topped with cream for dessert.
Day 11: Mix 100% fruit juice with club soda for a healthy soft drink.
Day 12: Send yourself a fruit basket at work for munching.
Day 13: Make a smoothie at home with bananas, blueberries and a little non-fat milk.
Day 14: Sprinkle ½ cup of wild blueberries on a salad.
Day 15: Put a colorful helping of wild blueberries on a piece of fish.
Day 16: Puree zucchini, peas and greens and add to marinara sauce.
Day 17: Add dried fruits to oatmeal. (Raisins count.)
Day 18: Serve apple sauce as a side dish at dinner.
Day 19: Freeze grapes and eat them as a cool snack.
Day 20: Eat a half of an avocado with lime juice and little salt for lunch (no dish necessary!).
Day 21: Throw in extra broccoli florets to dress up a green salad.
Day 22: Add a stash of frozen vegetables to canned or homemade soup.
Day 23: Buy frozen vegetable blends to steam in the microwave oven for quick side dishes.
Day 24: Top pizza with spinach, peppers, olives and tomatoes.
Day 25: Bake apples with cinnamon for a warm dessert.
Day 26: Combine apple slices with raw almonds or peanut butter as a mid-morning snack.
Day 27: Munch blueberries and nuts – synergy is the new caffeine!
Day 28: Have a bowl of snap peas ready for after-work crunching.
Day 29: Use about-to-be-tossed vegetables in a veggie stir-fry for dinner.
Day 30: Make delicious hummus or dip for an hors d’oeuvre – use the broccoli and the “sticks” as your delivery system and ditch the chips.
Day 31: Put chutney on your pork, duck or beef.
TELL US: Got your own favorite way to sneak the good stuff into your diet? We want to know!
