How to Add Greens to Your Diet

Nine servings a day. The Harvard School of Public Health has definitely raised the bar when it comes to incorporating fruits and vegetables into your daily diet. Most people have no problems adding fruit: an apple or box of raisins in the lunch bag and fresh berries on top of oatmeal. Adding more vegetables can be challenging--but with careful planning and a bit of ingenuity, it can be done.

Instructions

• 1

  Learn about serving size. In his book "Anticancer," David Servan-Schreiber provides the following helpful guide. One serving equals one-half cup of cooked or raw vegetables. If you have a large salad with different types of lettuce, cucumbers, onions and other greens, you could easily have four to five servings of vegetables in one sitting. And, with just 50 calories a cup, you will stay trim.

• 2

  Plan ahead and add convenience to your day. Cut up your favorite vegetables into snack-size pieces and store them in clear, plastic containers. Each morning, transfer these cut-up vegetables into smaller containers and place them in lunch bags or other handy places where you can access them (but not forget about them) later. Whenever you feel the urge to snack, munch on carrots, celery and other vegetables.

• 3

  Hide the vegetables. If you or another family member does not like vegetables, incorporate them into your favorite pasta sauce, casserole, chili, lasagna or stew. When you make a sandwich or burger, slip in sliced tomatoes, peppers, onions and shredded cabbage. Add bell peppers, spinach, mushrooms, broccoli and other vegetables to your omelets.

• 4

  Visit farmer's markets and buy vegetables that are in season. When you buy food that is in season, it is better for your health and the environment. Produce that has traveled a few hours, rather than a few days, will taste fresher because it was picked closer to its peak ripeness. Initiate conversations with the farmers and other shoppers; jot down new recipes and preparation methods for vegetables.

• 5

  Substitute vegetables for other items on restaurant menus, for example by requesting a side salad instead of the French fries that come with your meal. Order grilled vegetables as an appetizer and cooked vegetables instead of French fries. At lunchtime, order a salad and hearty, vegetable soup. Try the entrees in the vegetarian section of the menu.