June is National Fresh Fruits N Veggies Month!

     June is National Fruit and Vegetable month here in the U.S. and there couldn't be a better time. We have plenty of choices this time of year in our markets. The produce section is busting at the seems with wonderfully colored foods.

     We have all heard we need to eat our fruits and veggies to grow up strong, and most of us know it's sometimes a hassle getting the young ones to follow suit. Many of us are worried they aren't getting enough so we supplement with multivitamins or nutritional drinks. Here is a wonderful link to the CDC website to give you a good visual idea of how much the fruit you're eating equals out to in terms of cups.

     If beyond that you need to know how many of each you or your child should be consuming in a day's time, you can also swing by the CDC's fruit and veggie calculator here. You will be asked your age, sex, and activity level and the calculator will give you a good idea of the amount you should shoot for.

     Sometimes we run out if ideas on how to keep the kids interested in their vegetables and fruits, but fortunately the internet is booming with some wonderful and creative ideas! Sometimes just arranging the fruit into fun art is enough to catch a child's eye and tummy. I like these ideas on Pinterest. I've also seen a lot of great fresh-fruit cakes. I like this one from food.com because it looks quite easy to manage on your own. I'm also a big fan of fresh fruit for breakfast. In many parts of the world, they would turn their noses up to the bacon and egg idea. Fruits are a large part of breakfast ingredients in most places.

     Juicing may also help you get to the amount you're aiming for and it can be quite fun trying out new variations. Juicing is also great for sneaking in vegetables for the extra-picky eaters. Often you can mix some in without detection from the little ones. "Ants on a log" was always another favorite of mine to help with the veggie dilemma. Sometimes melting cheese on broccoli, asparagus, or other vegetables can help. Hey, veggies with cheese are better than no veggies at all!

     We all know a diet high in fruits and vegetables will help reduce the risks of obesity, cancers, strokes, and many other problems, and sometimes we ignore this important information. Let's make a conscious effort the rest of June to fit more great foods into our diets and see if we can't keep it going!

     Do you have a great fruit or veggie recipe to share? I want to hear about it! You can leave a comment or email me at amerimommy@gmail.com!

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