Fruit & veggie tricks

• To make sure you get the most vitamins, don’t boil vegetables. Steam or microwave them in a covered container.
• Add shredded carrots or zucchini to chicken, egg and tuna salads for extra vitamins and crunch.
• If you eat lentils with a food high in vitamin C, like tomatoes or bell peppers, their iron content is absorbed better by the body.
• Eat fruit and raw veggies as a snack to help you reach a goal of five fruits and vegetables per day. They’re low in calories and can help prevent cancer!
• At lunch, replace cookies with grapes or raw broccoli and cauliflower. These fruits and vegetables will help keep your energy level up throughout the afternoon.
• Serve the evening's vegetable as an "appetizer," when dinner is minutes away, and you still have a captive, hungry audience. A few bites of broccoli, sweet potatoes or crunchy raw vegetables are all healthy ways to start the meal.