Snack Your Way To A Healthy Day

Here are some fast, easy and delicious ways to snack more often on vegetables and fruit:

• Don't leave home without them! Make it a habit to carry vegetables and fruit with you at all times. Pack them in your briefcase, purse, knapsack, or glove compartment. Easy-to-carry options include apples, pears, bananas, clementines, canned fruit cups, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, dried fruit, grapes and juice paks.

• Everyone loves veggies and dip - including kids. Dip away with carrot sticks, red or green pepper strips, florets of broccoli or cauliflower, mushroom caps and more. Use a low fat creamy salad dressing for dipping.

• Fruits like sliced bananas, apples, pears and berries are also great for dipping. For a fast and tasty dip use a low fat fruit-flavoured yogurt or cream cheese.

• Keep a bowl filled with fruit on your kitchen counter and on your desk at work. When travelling order up a fruit basket to your room.

• Make a nutritious trail mix with pretzels, nuts, whole grain cereal and plenty of dried fruits like raisins, apricots, figs or prunes.

• Cut your favorite vegetables into snack size pieces. Splash them with a low fat vinaigrette salad dressing and keep them handy in the fridge. Store them in clear, plastic containers. Make sure they are the first thing you see when you open the fridge.

• Pop a pierced potato in the microwave for about ten minutes. Top it with salsa and low fat sour cream or a creamy, low fat salad dressing. Snacking at it's best!

• Refresh yourself with a glass of spicy tomato juice on the rocks.

Healthy Eating Tip: • Most people, including kids, tend to eat what is handy. Keep vegetables and fruit in reach and in sight. Keep cookies, chips and candy out of sight and out of reach (better yet, don't keep them around at all). • Got a sweet tooth? Snack on baby carrots or dried fruit instead of candy. • Can't get your kids to eat enough veggies? Serve them raw more often. Most kids prefer them this way. • Substitute whole fruit – fresh, frozen or canned – for fruit juices more often. While juices have lots of vitamins and minerals, they contain very little fibre. • Try at least one new healthy recipe involving vegetables and fruit each week.

Money Saving Tip • Looking for an inexpensive, fun family outing? Visit a farm that allows you to "pick your own produce." Vegetables and fruit don't get any cheaper, fresher or more delicious than this! • Compared to the cost of cookies, chips and cakes - vegetables and fruit are a nutritional bargain.