Tips for Cooking with Fruits & Vegetables

1. Get a jumpstart on dinner by filling microwave steaming bags with vegetables, one for every night of the week.
2. Take your favorite lasagna recipe and try adding different combinations of your favorite vegetables between the layers: mushrooms, spinach, broccoli, carrots, zucchini, onions, or eggplant. Be creative.
3. Mix canned spinach or frozen broccoli into your pasta dish.
4. If cooking fruits and vegetables takes too much time, consider microwaving vegetables, buying pre-cut fruits and vegetables, using canned or frozen items, drinking 100% fruit juice, or pre-washing vegetables so they are ready for cooking.
5. For even cooking, cut vegetables into small same-size pieces.
6. Use a fork to pierce whole, unpeeled vegetables such as potatoes or yams to keep them from bursting while cooking.
7. Pizza for dinner! Pizza can be a healthy choice whether you cook in or take-out when loaded with your favorite veggies.
8. Choose ½ cup of applesauce for baking instead of a ½ of cup oil.