Here are quick and easy dinner suggestions with more fruit and vegetables:
– Scatter sliced tomatoes, bagged spinach, roasted bottled peppers or sliced squash over a frozen cheese pizza.
– Toss prepackaged or precut vegetables (mushrooms, cauliflower, onions, tomatoes, etc.) into stir-fries or salads, or saute and add to jarred spaghetti sauce.
– Top a plain grilled or broiled chicken breast or fish fillet with a hefty ladle of prepared salsa.
– Substitute strands of cooked spaghetti squash for pasta noodles and top with marinara sauce for a double dose of veggie power.
– Cook 16 ounces of pasta for about 5 minutes, then add a 1-pound bag of frozen vegetable mix. Continue cooking until pasta and vegetables are done. Drain and toss with olive oil or butter and salt and pepper.
– Instead of a hamburger, try brushing a meaty-flavored portobello mushroom cap with a little olive oil and grilling or broiling it. Add a slice of cheese for extra protein; serve as is or on a hamburger bun with lettuce, tomato, sprouts or other veggies.
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Check it out
The National Cancer Institute’s 5-a-day Web site, www.5aday.gov; or www.nutrition.com, which is an index to dozens of government nutrition sites. You can find recipe tips at the Produce for Better Health Foundation site; www.5aday.org
