Tips: Servings

  • Eat an extra side dish of cooked vegetables with your dinner.


  • Fill half of your plate with vegetables first, and then add the other foods.


  • Add fresh fruit and vegetables to foods you already eat — like berries and bananas to yogurt and cereal; vegetables to pasta and pizza; and lettuce, tomato and onion to sandwiches.


  • Keep fruits and vegetables visible and easily accessible — for instance, store cut and cleaned produce at eye-level in the refrigerator.


  • There are so many choices when selecting fruits and vegetables. Have you ever tried kiwifruit? How about mangoes? Try something new.


  • Use a microwave or pressure cooker to quickly “zap” vegetables and retain their nutrients.


  • Fruits and vegetables taste great and give you energy. Eating 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day keeps you pepped up for your day.


  • Fruit juice, flavored vinegars, or herbs make low-fat salad dressings flavorful without adding fat or salt. Try these tasty additions to add flavor to your salad.


  • Want to know a shortcut to measuring a serving size? Generally, a fruit and vegetable serving is about the size of your fist. A serving of leafy greens should be larger than your fist, while a serving of dried fruit is smaller than your fist.


  • A serving can be a medium-size piece of fruit, ¾ cup (6 oz.) of 100% fruit or vegetable juice, ½ cup fresh, frozen, or canned fruit (in 100 percent juice) or vegetables, 1 cup of raw leafy vegetables, ½ cup cooked dry peas or beans, or ¼ cup dried fruit.


  • Sometimes you can eat some of your fruit in its own container. Kiwifruit comes with its own serving cup and cantaloupe comes with its own serving bowl. Just cut them in half through the middle and scoop out each half with a spoon.


  • Here’s a tip for preparing to eat your fruits and vegetables. Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly in water. Do not use detergent.


  • Fruits and vegetables are nature’s Original Fast Food. A box of raisins, some grapes, carrot sticks, or some red and green pepper sticks makes quick snacks.


  • Start the day with 100% fruit or vegetable juice. Slice bananas or strawberries on top of your cereal. Have a salad with lunch, and an apple for an afternoon snack. Include some microwaved or steamed vegetables with dinner.


  • Microwaving fruits and vegetables is fast and fun. Heat up some frozen vegetables or potatoes.
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