Easy Way to Get 5 a Day

Fresh, frozen or canned, fruits and vegetables provide a wide range of vitamins, minerals and trace substances you need for energy, top performance and health protection.

"5 is fine but 9 is divine," says Dr. Ken Cooper of the Aerobics Institute, because the more fruits and vegetables we eat, the lower the risk of serious diseases. There is growing evidence that these foods help fight cancer and heart disease as well as stroke, Alzheimer's disease and macular degeneration.

To easily accumulate 5 servings a day:

At BREAKFAST

• Top your cereal with plain yogurt and berries or peaches.
• For a smoothie, whip up pineapple, banana and soy milk.
• Serve fresh orange juice.
• Fold sliced mushrooms and bell pepper into your eggs.

At LUNCH

• Add an orange, apple, carrot sticks or wedge of cabbage.
• Pile your sandwiches high with sliced tomato, pepper and cucumber.
• Visit a nearby salad bar and load up on greens (not high-fat toppings).

For SNACKS

• Top apple or pear slices with a thin layer of peanut butter.
• Grab a bunch of grapes or handful of dried fruit.
• Add sliced tomato and celery to nonfat cottage cheese.
• Have juice instead of soft drinks.

At DINNER

• Toss a salad.
• Pick a new vegetable to try each week.
• Add sliced fruit as a garnish.
• Choose vegetarian eateries; Asian and Indian cuisine typically serve lots of veggies.

When buying fruits and vegetables, pass up produce that is bruised, cracked or soft; it spoils quickly. Eat fruits and veggies fresh, within a day or so. The longer they sit around, the more nutrients they lose.

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