Looking to add some color to your diet? Head straight for the produce aisle. In this Healthy Living report, Time Warner Cable News’ Kristen Shaughnessy has some ideas for how to incorporate more fruits and veggies into your meals.
The produce aisle can be intimidating because there are so many options - so we went to vegetarian chef Cindi Avila for some tips on what to look for.
"I like to say shop the rainbow so your cart should be full of lots of produce in different colors," says Avila.
From tomatoes to kale, to spinach and carrots, there are many ways to get color on your plate. It makes cooking more fun and it helps you get all your vitamins and nutrients.
"A lot of times people fall back on brown food. Everything on the plate is brown and if you have a plate of brown food, you're probably doing something wrong," says Avila.
And if you're worried your kids aren’t eating enough veggies, let them eat them any way they want.
"My four year old will eat peas frozen and it is fine. They're already cooked and they're frozen at the peak of freshness, so she's getting a lot of nutrients by doing it that way," says Avila.
In general, frozen veggies are just fine.
"You can keep them around the house for weeks on end, for months if you need to. They are a lot more affordable," Avila explains.
Whether you are shopping for fresh or frozen, think about making veggies the centerpiece of your meal, not the side dish and start with your very first meal.
"A lot of people don't incorporate veggies with their breakfast. You can do that through things like avocado toast, veggies in an omelet," Avila suggests.
You can also get creative with what you make .
"At lunch, don't just think about lettuce and tomato. Think about putting vegetables on something like falafel. There's a lot of other ways, an avocado sandwich with the avocado as the base of the sandwich," Avila says.
If you are always on the go, make a green juice and take it with you.
"It's a great way to get a lot of veggies, several servings in one shot and it makes you feel good about yourself," says Avila.
If you want your family to stay away from the junk food, remember, it is about what you offer - what you keep around the house.
"Instead of falling back on chips and pretzels, the first thing I offer is how about some baby carrots with hummus," says Avila.
So remember to make sure your plate has many colors, and frozen veggies are just fine.