Eat more! / How to add more fruits and vegetables to your day

So, I forgot one major rule in the post below. And that is....Eat 5+ times a day, not 3. I eat about 6 times a day. Snacking is good! Better for your metabolism, your energy level, and your waistline.  

So, I thought I would list some (easy) ways to eat more fruits and vegetables....
For breakfast -
- Saute veggies (whatever you like, I use anything I have, I especially like spinach, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, bell pepper...) in a non-stick pan, and when they are done to your liking, scramble some eggs in there. If you are really ambitious, make it an omelette instead. You can add a little bit of cheese (full-fat and full-flavored, please), or a little ham or bacon if you like.
- Cut up fruit and put it in your oatmeal. I like bananas, apples, and dried apricots for this especially, but try anything.  I also like to add nuts.

-Have fruit with your (high fiber) cereal.
- Have a fruit smoothie. I like the ones that are all fruit, not much milk or ice. Put a spoonful of peanut butter and a spoonful of oatmeal to the blender too. (Sounds crazy, but it tastes so good and helps keep you fuller longer too). My new favorite - throw an avocado in there. So tasty! And good for you! (Yes, I know it is high in (healthy) fat and calories. So eat it instead of those 2 glasses of Kool-Aid and that bag of Doritos).
- Have yogurt and fruit. Or yogurt, granola, and fruit.
- Make pancakes (use whole wheat flour), and add frozen mixed berries or frozen blueberries to the batter.
- Think outside the box. Eat last night's leftovers (full of veggies,of course) for breakfast.  I love doing this.
For lunch -
- Eat salad. And not iceberg lettuce and salad dressing. I never liked salad when I thought that is what it had to be. Try spinach, romaine, arugula, watercress, spring mix,etc. Add some sliced apple or pear, orange sections, strawberries, dried cranberries, etc. Toss in some pecans, almonds, cashews, pine nuts, walnuts, etc. Add blue cheese or feta or goat cheese or Parmigiano Reggiano. My favorite lunchtime salad - a plate of spinach, a small handful of toasted pine nuts, a small handful of dried cranberries, crumble some goat cheese on top, and drizzle on some balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Try it. I have served this to some very picky salad/spinach haters who loved it. I will post more salad recipes in the future - I have a ton!  And then I can live vicariously through those of you who will use them, because fresh greens are hard to get here.
- Microwave a bag of frozen veggies, add a little pat of (real) butter, salt and pepper, and enjoy. My favorite vegetables (and Jaya's) to eat this way are broccoli and green beans. When you are feeling motivated, saute it all in olive oil instead and add a couple of crushed garlic cloves to the oil. Stores now sell really good mixed vegetables, with lots of variety. Try a good bag of mixed asian veggies with a few drops of sesame oil and some slivered almonds or sesame seeds.  Add salt and pepper.  I truly believe a lot of people don't like veggies because they have only had them overcooked, which kills their flavor, and without seasoning to enhance their flavor.
-Make a sandwich and pile on the veggies. Buy jarred roasted red peppers, bagged spinach, jarred artichoke hearts, olives, and regular and sun dried tomatoes. All good added to sandwiches. You can use cold cuts, or try throwing a portobello mushroom in a saute pan with some olive oil and garlic and using it as the "meat". (Or even throw it in a George Foreman grill). Use avocado or hummus a spread for bread instead of mayo.
For snacks -
- Eat edamame. You can buy it frozen now, and it is very fast to make. Jaya loves this!
- Eat fresh fruit. (Duh).
- Eat apples and peanut butter. Or try almond or cashew butter. My favorite pre-workout snack.
- Eat a small handful of nuts (I know, not a fruit or a vegetable. But a plant food nonetheless.)
For dinner - ok, I promise I will post more recipes. But a couple of ideas...
- Eat pasta and load it up with veggies.  I may have a million pasta recipes.
- Roast vegetables. So easy and so tasty. Toss veggies (sweet potato, tomatoes, eggplant, asparagus, cauliflower, etc.) with just enough oil to coat, salt and pepper. You can add garlic and/or herbs and/or spices, and roast at about 400 degrees until tender and delicious.  
- Eat beans. We love beans!  And throw beans in your salads too. I will post some bean recipes also.

This post is so exciting!  I love talking about food.  I will stop now and save some for another day.

Wait!
One last thing. 

I have talked to a lot of people who say....but eating healthy is so expensive. To that, I say:

 Buy fresh, in-season, locally grown produce and shop wisely (sales and coupons and bulk).  Cut down on meat.  Stop buying pre-made frozen food and processed items.  If you live in an area where even with all that, it is costlier to eat healthy...well, to that I repeat my mother's words. "Health is wealth." If eating like this gives you a longer life span and a better quality of life, isn't it worth cutting your spending somewhere else?