Healthy Eating

5 A Day

September 12-18 is national "5 A Day Week." Try following these simple tips to get your
5 a day.

For Breakfast
Drink 100% juice every morning. Add raisins, berries, or sliced fruit to your cereal, pancakes, or waffles. Make a fruit sandwich with a bagel, a thin spread of cream cheese, and some sliced berries or bananas.

For Lunch
Include vegetable soup or salad with your meal. Pile lots of vegetables on your sandwich. Add a piece of fruit or a can of cut-up fruit to your lunch. Replace potato chips or french fries with cut-up veggies.

For Dinner
Eat vegetables as the main course as in stir-frys and vegetable stews. Microwave vegetables and sprinkle them with a little bit of Parmesan cheese. Make sure your plate has lots of vegetables that are green (lettuce or spinach), orange (carrots or squash), and red (tomatoes or bell peppers).

For Snacks
Try different kinds of dried fruit - 1/4 cup is a whole serving. Drink 100% juice instead of soda. Buy "grab and eat" fruits and vegetables like apples, plums, pears, and carrots.

When Eating Out
Pile your plate with fresh vegetables from the salad bar, and use low-fat or non-fat dressing. Get vegetable soup or a salad instead of fries.

National Institutes of Health, "5 A Day," 1999.