Back From the Dead

Greens are still among us. Go to any local farmers market and you will find fresh looking bunches of kale, collards, mustard greens, and broccoli rabe alike. But what happens once you take that gorgeous bouquet home and store it in your refrigerator? I don't know about you, but after one day of sitting in my refrigerator the whole bunch wilts. Pathetic. The last thing you want to do is eat a pile of limp, wrinkled greens, but the alternative - to throw out the greens - is even less appealing. You just spent all that money on local produce and now you are just going to throw it away? Fortunately, there is a solution. You can revive your greens back from the dead. 


Here is what to do. Place your drooping greens in a large bowl (large enough to fit all of the greens, preferably including the stems). Fill the bowl with cold water and drop a handful of ice cubes in the bowl as well. Let the greens sit for a few hours in this nice, cold, ice bath. My advice: do this before you go to bed, so that the greens have all night to recuperate. The next morning: ta-da! Your greens will be happy, alive, and ready for eatin'! This trick also works with herbs. They just need a little fresh water to perk up.

Sad, pathetic kale after 1 day in the fridge

Happy kale after a long, ice bath. Ready to be cooked! 

And what can you do with your greens once they are revived? Here is a delectable dish, perfect for these warm (yet at the same time chilly) September days:

Kale with Sweet Potatoes (adapted from Moosewood Restaurant: Cooking for Health)

Serves 2

Ingredients:

-1 medium sweet potato, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks

-1 tablespoon olive oil

-1 teaspoon mustard seeds (if you don't have these, don't worry 'bout it!)

-2 garlic cloves, minced

-1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

-1 teaspoon curry powder

-1/2 bunch of kale, chopped

-pinch of salt

-2 tablespoons water

-1/2 tablespoon soy sauce

-ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Steam sweet potatoes until fork can easily pierce through (about 10 minutes).

2. Heat skillet over medium heat and add olive oil. Add mustard seeds and as soon as they start popping, add the garlic and red pepper flakes; cook for 1 minute.

3. Add the curry powder, kale, and salt. Stir until kale wilts, 2-3 minutes.

4. Add water to pan, cover, and cook on low heat for about 5 minutes. 

3. Stir in sweet potatoes and soy sauce. Add black pepper, to taste. 

Serve with Caribbean Spiced Mahi Mahi with Habanero-Peach Butter (from the Turtle Bay Cookbook)

Burgers 'N Fries for All

It is officially September, which means that summer is coming to an end. However, the season for grilling, cookouts, and burgers with fries is hardly over. As I mentioned in my previous post (where I cooked a variety of meals for an incredibly eclectic group of eaters), one of the nights I made a burger-and-fries dinner that satisfied not only the carnivorous taste buds, but also the vegan and vegetarians in the room. To me, burgers with fries is a staple summer/fall meal, so it is important to be able to make this oldie-but-goodie for whomever. 

Fortunately, neither burger recipe takes very long to assemble and they both require relatively few ingredients. So, if you are looking for a quick, inexpensive, and delicious meal to make, these recipes are definitely fail-safe options. Before you start cooking, here are a few tips regarding the purchasing, prepping, and cooking of these recipes: 

1. Buy lean ground meat. What do I mean by this? When you look at the cover of a package of meat you will see two numbers. One of the numbers is much larger (80-93), the other number is much smaller (7-20). The larger number refers to the amount of meat in the package, while the smaller number refers to the amount of fat. Typically the less meat/more fat packages (80/20) are the cheapest option. However, when you cook that meat (especially in a burger), you will end up throwing most of the fat away - it either drips from the grill or you drain it from the pan. This means you are literally throwing away 20% of your money, since you are discarding - and therefore not eating - 20% of the package. Therefore, I encourage you to spend the extra dollar to purchase a package of lean (less fat) ground meat (90/10 or better still, 93/7). Not only is this a more economical buy (you get more meat for your money!), but it is also the healthier option of meat to eat. 

2. Buy low-sodium canned beans. Too much salt can have adverse health effects, so regardless of whether you have high blood pressure now, you should try to be conscious of the amount of salt you consume. Beans are usually canned in water and salt (to help preserve the beans). However, the amount of salt typically used is far too much and incredibly unnecessary. Fortunately, some companies have started canning their beans using significantly less salt. These cans are labeled as "low sodium". Regular canned beans can have as much as 20% of your daily value of sodium, whereas low-sodium options have only 5%. Chances are that in whatever recipe you are using the beans, you will add "a pinch" of salt, if not more; there is no need to start out using beans that already contain a high amount of sodium. Of course, there are other ways to get rid of some of this added salt (see tip #3), if for some reason you cannot purchase a low-sodium can option. But definitely try to buy your beans low-sodium whenever possible. 

3. Drain and rinse beans. This technique will help you get rid of 30-40% of the salt in canned beans. How do you drain and rinse? Pop open the can and dump the beans into a colander . Then, turn on the faucet and rinse the beans off with water. You will see bubbles forming (that is the salt), so when the bubbles start to subside you can stop rinsing (usually 30-40 seconds). Finally, let the beans sit in the colander in your sink in order to drain off all the water. Whether you use low-sodium or regular canned beans, this technique not only gets rid of a lot of the added salt, but also rinses away the congealed water that typically clings to the beans in the can. 

4. Use different cutting boards. Remember my post on defrosting meat? Do you recall how quickly bacteria multiplies and the only ways you can actually kill bacteria? If not, you should read that post again. For the burgers, one recipe uses meat and the other only uses vegetable/bean products. You do not want any of the bacteria from the raw meat cross-contaminating with the veggie burger. Why? Well, if the veggie burger does not heat through all the way to the center, then not all of the bacteria will be killed. Food poisoning anyone? Be safe and do not cross contaminate.

5. Have multiple topping choices. Though the standard lettuce-tomato-and-onion is always a winner, it is nice to have a variety of choices for your guests - and yourself. The topping choices I offered: spinach, lettuce, alfalfa sprouts, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, and avocado. Additionally, the condiments you use can make a difference as to how fantastic your burger will taste. Some suggestions: ketchup, mustard, mayo, horseradish, and salsa. Don't be afraid to think outside of the box!

Whether you are cooking for two, your family, or a crowd of hyped up football fans, you can feel confident in making these burgers 'n fries for all!

Ground Beef (or Turkey) Burgers
Ingredients:
-1 lb. lean ground beef (or turkey)
-1 egg
-2 green onions or 1/2 red onion, chopped
-1/2 cup breadcrumbs (tear up the ends of bread loaves!)
-1 tablespoon dijon mustard (or whatever mustard you have available)
-dash of cayenne pepper
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well (with your hands)
2. Form into 7-8 patties (should be the size of your palm)
3. Heat either a pan on top of your stove to medium heat or an outside grill
4. Add patties and cook for about 8 minutes on each side; cook to an internal temperature of 160 degrees fahrenheit (if do not have a meat thermometer you should definitely buy one!) or cut a patty in the middle and see if it is pink enough for you.
5. Serve on top of whole wheat buns

Spicy Black Bean Burgers
Ingredients:
-1 15oz. can black beans (low-sodium!), drained & rinsed
-1/3 cup red onions or 2 scallions, chopped 
-1/4 breadcrumbs (again, tear up the ends of bread loaves!)
-1/4 cup store-bought salsa (use Newman's Own medium or mild salsa)
-1 teaspoon cumin 
-pinch of cayenne pepper

Directions:
1. Mash beans using a fork or potato masher
2. Mix in remaining ingredients
3. Use hands to shape 7-8 patties (should be the size of your hand)
4. Heat either a pan on top of your stove to medium heat or an outside grill
5. Add a drizzle of olive oil, then add patties and cook for about 8-10 minutes until browned on both sides
6. Serve on top of whole wheat buns!

Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients:-4 sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch wedges

-2 tablespoons canola oil

-1/2 teaspoon salt

-1/2 teaspoon pepper

-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit or heat outdoor grill

2. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl; make sure potatoes are fully coated (drizzle a bit more oil if sweet potatoes seem too dry)

3. Cook for 25-30 minutes in the oven, stirring the sweet potatoes every 10 minutes; or grill for 20 minutes until a fork can pierce the potatoes

4. Serve hot, warm, or cold...they taste fantastic any way!

Feeding Family

Family reunions are incredibly fun, exciting, and at times, stressful...especially when it comes to food. The larger the number of people, the more dietary issues and preferences you have to take into consideration when planning meals. Sure, an easy solution is to eat out at a different restaurant each night - that way everyone gets to pick their own meal and you do not have to worry about satisfying everybody's needs. But that can get expensive, and depending on where your reunion is held, you may not have very many restaurants (if any) from which to choose. So what is plan B? How do you successfully feed your whole family? Here is what I did...

This past weekend I had a family reunion with my mom's side of the family. Some of the relatives I had not seen in almost 2 years! I was giddy, eager, and thus volunteered to be head chef and menu planner for the three day event. We were 13 people total, including: 1 vegan, 2 vegetarians, 2 pregnant ladies, 1 obstinately picky eater, and a hodgepodge of random "I prefer not to eat ____". Challenge accepted. 

I spent a few days skimming through cookbooks and magazines, trying to figure out what sort of meals I could make that would accommodate such an eclectic group of eaters. Once again, Bon Appetit saved the day with a wonderful suggestion for large groups of people: taco night. Naturally I heeded this advice and enthusiastically planned a Friday night taco feast. It was an absolute success. Everyone's palates were satiated and their stomachs full. 

Breakfast was much simpler - toast with jam was a perfect fall-back for anybody who did not like or would not eat whatever other options were served. On Saturday I played it safe - fruit salad (how can you go wrong with fruit salad?!), zucchini muffins, and carrot muffins. The muffins were both vegan, but as my uncle (a meat eater) said, "I would have NEVER guessed these were vegan...they are fantastic!" On Sunday I was a bit more adventurous - mini frittatas (half with veggies, half without), whole grain pancakes, fruit salad (again, how can you go wrong with fruit salad?!), and toast. Everyone except the vegan could eat Sunday morning's meal; so I made the lone vegan a lentil and veggie scramble with tortillas on the side (made from Friday night's leftovers). Again, everybody was satisfied. 

Lunch was incredibly easy. One day we went to a typical New England seafood place (most of us had lobster rolls...yum!). But on the other days, our house was fully stocked with all the fixings for sandwiches: four different kinds of bread, two kinds of sliced cheese, turkey, roast beef, three kinds of hummus, cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, alfalfa sprouts, spinach, avocado, mustard, and mayonnaise. Plus tortilla chips, potato chips, carrot sticks, and fresh fruit on the side. People made their own sandwiches and everyone was happy. 

One night the work was cut out for me - we went out for dinner to a favorite local restaurant. No planning or cooking necessary on my end. But Sunday night - the last supper - I had one more meal to successfully bang out. The final product: different types of burgers, fries, and salad. A classic combo that never gets old. And once again, bellies were full. 

Family reunion dinners - sitting down with that big group of people, eating good food, and having lively conversations - are an essential component of any family get-together. It is possible to make meals that accommodate everyone's needs. Some recipe ideas for taco night are below. So please, do not cut corners and just order pizza every night when your extended family has traveled to spend time with you. Show your family some love - make 'em a meal they won't forget and one they can all enjoy together. Feed your family...and do it well. 

TACO NIGHT
make sure to have difference types of tortillas: soft corn, soft flour, hard corn
Fillings:

Cumin & Chili Pepper Chicken

---Cumin and Chili Pepper Chicken (use ground chili pepper instead of Ancho pepper powder)
---Rajas Poblanos

Lentil Taco Filling

---Sauteed shrimp (heat skillet on medium-->add 2 tablespoons olive oil + 2 garlic cloves, minced-->add shrimp in batches - when they're pink and curled, they're done!)
---Lentil Tacos (from Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook)

Sides and Toppings:

---Guacamole (mash: two ripe avocados + 1 tomato, chopped + 1/4 white onion, chopped + 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped + juice from 1 lime + pinch of salt + 1/2 jalapeno, minced - if you want it spicy)
---Pico de Gallo
---Shredded cheese: Monterey Jack, cheddar, and hard Mexican cheese
---Cherry tomatoes, quartered
---Plain greek yogurt (healthy substitute for sour cream...no one could tell the difference!!)
---Radishes, sliced
---Purple cabbage, chopped
---White onion, chopped
---Cilantro, minced
---Tortilla chips!!

100% or Nothin'

What is the point of eating or drinking something if it is not 100% real? I do not want to eat something that looks like a blueberry, tastes like a blueberry, but is only 75% blueberry...what the heck is the other 25%? Chemicals? Artificial blueberry gunk? Play-doh? The same goes for juice. I do not know about you, but I only want to drink something that is 100% juice; because if it is not 100% juice then what else is in it? 

When you are walking down the juice aisle at a grocery store - figuring out what juice you want for breakfast or to mix with your adult beverage over the weekend - it can be overwhelming to make a decision. There are so many choices and dozens of intriguing descriptions. Cran-Apple-Grape! Triple Berry Cocktail! Mango-Pineapple Blend! But as you have probably guessed by now, even though the bottles all look like they are filled with 100% juice, that is actually not the case. 

The front of any product - be it a bottle of juice, a box of cereal, or a bag of chips - is an advertisement. The company that makes that product is trying to grab your attention with cool labels, words, and pictures that make you look twice. It is all glitz and glam to make you want to buy that product. The front of a product tells you ZERO information about what is actually in that product. You have to flip the box over - away from the shiny label - to read the nutrition facts label and ingredient list, in order to find out the truth about that product. 

So, when you are walking down the juice aisle and you see a delectable looking "juice", you cannot just grab it off the shelf because it looks pretty and be done. You need to flip the bottle and look directly above the nutrition facts label, which is where it says how much juice is actually in that product. It will say: Contains ___% Juice. You want that % to be 100. If it is not 100, then your eyes need to scan down to the ingredient list and find out what else is actually in the liquid you are holding. What you'll probably read: water, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and some unpronounceable words. 

Juice is already sweet enough...there is absolutely no reason to add any sugar. Remember my post on calculating the number of sugar packets in something? One serving of juice contains enough sugar packets, as is. To give you some perspective: drinking a cup of orange juice is the equivalent of eating three oranges...in one sitting...in probably less than 5 minutes, if you drink your juice fast. That is a lot of sugar in your 8 ounce glass. So, I am totally in favor of watering down your juice. However, YOU should be the person adding the water...not some company. Why should you pay money for someone to water down your beverage? You are getting less juice and paying for water. Instead, buy a bottle of 100% juice and water it down yourself - the bottle will last much longer when you water it down, than if you bought a pre-watered down (and sugared-up) bottle of juice cocktail.

Fortunately, there are some trigger words on the front of "juice" boxes that usually indicate that the beverage does not contain 100% juice. When the beverage has the words cocktail, blend, or the word juice is missing from the cover (ex: Cran-Apple...no "juice" to be found), you can be pretty positive that that beverage is less than 100% juice. Companies like to trick you with phrases like "contains 100% vitamin C" - your eyes see 100% and you feel happy with your "healthy" choice. But flip over the bottle. Scarily enough the cocktail and blends typically contain less than 30% juice, which means the majority of what you're drinking (70-95%) is not juice, but rather sugar, water, high fructose corn syrup, or chemicals. De-lish. Except not. 

I hate to break it to you, but beverages like Sunny-D (5% juice and contains canola oil in the ingredient list), Nantucket Nectar Mango-Orange Juice Cocktail (20% juice), Newman's Own Grape Juice Cocktail (13% juice), Ocean Spray Cocktails (Cranberry Cocktail =27% juice, Cran-Apple/Grape/Raspberry = 15% juice), and Minute Maid Fruit Punch (5% juice), are not the best choices...unless you like beverages with less than 100% juice and more than 70% sugar, water, and chemicals. 

Making your own juice can be fun, but also time consuming (considering you have to squeeze dozens of oranges to get a sufficient amount of OJ). So of course, buying juice is a convenient option. But next time you are deciding what "juice" to buy, you need to remember to look above the nutrition facts label and see how much juice the beverage actually contains. For me, it's 100% or nothin'. 

Meatless Mondays

Which do you think has more of a detrimental impact to our environment: driving your car or eating a 4oz piece of meat? Your first inclination is probably the car...duh! But actually, eating meat (specifically red meat like beef and lamb) is worse for our environment. In fact, eating just one 4oz. piece of beef is the equivalent to driving your car close to 7 miles. Thought provoking?


As you may have noticed, based on the majority of my recipes, I eat a relatively meat-free diet. Am I telling you to cut out meat from your diet completely? No. You may not have any interest in eliminating meat from your diet or even care about your carbon footprint (slightly selfish of you not to think about these things, because your choices today affect generations to come; but whatever, no judgement...). Regardless of your concern for trying to make our planet a better place to live, there is one simple thing you can do: Meatless Mondays. 


That's it. One day a week, don't eat meat, cheese, or fish of any kind. Now you may be thinking, what sort of an impact can this possibly have on the environment (because it seems like such a small and simple change to make)? Well: if you personally don't eat meat one day a week it is the equivalent of taking your car off the road for 320 miles - or line drying your clothes half the time, instead of using a drying machine. And if every person in the USA were to not eat meat, cheese, or fish just one day a week: it would be equivalent to taking 7.6 million cars off the road. 


Also, in case you've been living under a rock, it is worth noting that our nation is currently experiencing a terrible drought. So in an attempt to conserve our limited water to be used in agriculture, the USDA is jumping on the bandwagon of "Meatless Mondays" by recommending that people in the USA not eat meat just one day a week. Why? You may ask. Well, “producing a pound of animal protein requires, on average, about 100 times more water than producing a pound of vegetable protein.” Surprising? Of course, there are opponents to this suggestion - mainly a specific strand of politicians who are endorsed by members of the meat industry. You can read more about the issue and speculate about my opinions of the matter...


I am not asking you to become a vegetarian. Nor am I asking you to stop driving your car. In fact, I'm not asking you to do anything. I am giving you knowledge and now you can do what you want. All I'm saying is that not eating meat, cheese, or fish on just one day a week is a pretty damn simple thing to do; and it has the potential to make some pretty significant changes to our planet in the future and for our country today...

Cereal, Yogurt, and Sugar...Oh My!

Do you like cereal? What about yogurt? Sure, these can be great breakfast choices - they can be eaten on the go and taste delicious. But have you ever looked at the nutrition facts label on any of your favorite breakfast treats - specifically, looking at the amount of sugar listed? And even if you do read your nutrition facts labels, what the heck do the number of grams of sugar actually mean?

Enter math. There is an easy way to visualize the amount of sugar in food and all it requires is a simple calculation. First, you need to know that 4 grams of sugar = 1 teaspoon = 1 sugar packet. So, look at any nutrition facts label and take the number of grams of sugar (per serving), then divide by 4...the resulting number is equal to the number of sugar packets in that food. Let's do an example: 


A Dunkin' Donuts Blueberry Muffin has 44 grams of sugar per muffin. So, 44 grams ÷ 4 = 11 sugar packets... in one muffin.



Remember: always look at the serving size before you start calculating. If a cereal's serving size is only 3/4 cup and you know you're going to eat twice that amount, then you need to double the number of grams of sugar before you start calculating the number of sugar packets you'll be eating.


The math is not hard. The visual of sugar packets is quite easy. And with this newfound skill, you're going to be shocked by the amount of sugar that secretly exists in many foods. But why should we even care about calculating the amount of sugar we eat? Well, not only can consuming too much sugar eventually lead to awful health problems (such as Type II diabetes), but on a daily basis the consumption of too much sugar can leave you with little energy and an inability to focus (not to mention the damage it will do to your teeth...). As we all know, from year's of experience on Halloween night, when you eat a lot of sugar you get a sugar high. You bounce off the walls and can't seem to focus on anything because you are too "energized". But just as quickly as your energy shoots up, you suddenly get a sugar crash. Your energy is wiped. You may even get a headache. So what do you do - eat more sugar and start the cycle all over again? A little sugar in moderation is fine, but given how much sugar is hidden in the foods we eat, we want to be careful about the amount of sugar going into our bodies.


Let's go back to cereals and yogurt. Yes, there are some choices that are obviously abundant in sugar. If you think that Frosted Flakes, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, or Lucky Charms are low-sugar, healthy breakfast options then you are kidding yourself. But there are quite a number of surprisingly sugar-filled foods that you probably thought were "healthy" options (see list below). So what are the healthy cereal and yogurt choices? Cereals with fewer than 5 grams of sugar per serving and yogurts (6oz. containers) with fewer than 8 grams of sugar - milk naturally has sugar in it (lactose is sugar), so even plain yogurt will have some sugar in it. As you may have guessed, most cereals and all flavored yogurt do not fit that criteria. So how can we reduce sugar intake without completely eliminating favorite breakfast items? Here are my suggestions:


CEREAL: mix sugary cereals (cereals with >5g sugar) with low-sugar cereals (Cheerios, Shredded Wheat, Kix, Special K, Grape Nuts, Crispix, Rice and Corn Chex). 
Example: combine 1/2 cup of regular Cheerios with 1/2 cup of Honey Nut Cheerios.


YOGURT: Ideally, the best option is to add your own fruit to plain yogurt...if that is not sweet enough for you, then add a teaspoon of honey (guaranteed, you won't add nearly as much sugar to plain yogurt as yogurt companies add). 
Example: combine 1 cup of blueberries with 1 container (6oz) of Chobani Plain Yogurt. However, if you're hooked on sweets, you may want to start your sugar reduction process by mixing flavored yogurt with plain yogurt. Example: mix half of a 6oz container of strawberry flavored yogurt with 1/2 cup of plain yogurt. Once your taste buds are used to a less sweet flavor, try eating plain yogurt with fruit. 


Remember to look at serving size first, then calculate: # grams of sugar ÷ 4 = # sugar packets. You can use this equation with all foods, not just cereal and yogurt. Go take a look at your food supply and see how much sugar is hidden in your pantry...oh my!  

SURPRISINGLY SUGARY CEREALS AND YOGURT:

--Honey Nut Cheerios - 3/4 cups - 9g sugar = 2 sugar packets

Compare to Original Cheerios - 1 cup - 1g sugar = less than 1 sugar packet

--Raisin Bran Cereal - 1 cup - 18g sugar = 4.5 sugar packets

Compare to regular Bran Flakes - 3/4 cup - 5g sugar = 1 sugar packet

--Mini Wheats - 24 biscuits - 12g sugar = 3 sugar packets

Compare to Post Shredded Wheat - 1 cup - 0g sugar = 0 sugar packets

--Yoplait Original Strawberry 99% Fat Free Yogurt- 6oz (1 container) - 27g sugar = 6.5 sugar packets

Compare to Stonyfield Plain Fat Free Yogurt - 1 cup - 15g sugar = 4 sugar packets

--Chobani Strawberry Yogurt - 6 oz. (1 container) - 19g sugar = 5 sugar packets

Compare to Chobani Plain Yogurt - 6 oz. (1 container) - 7g sugar = 2 sugar packets

12 Baby Carrots, Please!

Some of you may be fruit and vegetable fanatics, like me. Others may be less enthused by dark leafy greens, bright yellow squash, and ruby red raspberries. Regardless of your interest in consuming fruits and veggies, it is useful to know how much you are consuming - and whether or not you're consuming enough. 


As I've expressed in previous posts, my attitude on eating styles is to pick a culture that has been in existence for a long time and eat according to the way they eat. Whether it is the Mediterranean Diet, the Asian Diet, the Latin American Diet, or even the African Diet, the common factor among these food cultures remains the same: eat lots of fruits and veggies! I'm talkin' like cups worth of fruits and vegetables every day. Not just two or three cups...like a good five or six of 'em. And that means both fruits and vegetables, not just one or the other.


So how much is a "cup" of vegetables exactly? Although the USDA dietary guidelines have not done much in the way of improving the food culture in the United States, they have developed some wonderful charts that tells us "what counts as a cup of ____". Obviously a measured cup of anything means you are eating one cup of that fruit, vegetable, grain, etc. (duh!); but some of these more obscure recommendations are useful to know. Take a look: 


What counts as a cup of vegetables: 
--12 baby carrots
--2 stalks of celery
--1 large baked sweet potato
--3 large spears of broccoli (that includes the tree part and the stalk!)
--1 large bell pepper
--1 cup raw or cooked _____(take your pick!)
What counts as a cup of fruit: 
--32 seedless grapes 
--8 large strawberries
--1 large orange
--1 large banana
--1 small apple
--1 medium peach
--1/2 cup dried fruit
--1 cup measured ____(whatever fruit you like!)
**FYI the following fruits are really high in sugar, so don't go overboard eating them: grapes, bananas, cherries, mango, figs, and any type of dried fruit

Surprised by the one cup equivalents? Do you think you're eating more or less fruits/veggies than you thought? I know it can be tough to get in a good amount of fruits and veggies throughout the day, especially when you're not a fan of them. But there are endless health benefits from eating fruits and veggies, so consuming them is really something you should get your body and taste buds used to doing. Next time you are wondering what to eat for a snack or side dish, just say "pass me 12 baby carrots please" - at least you've got one cup down!