frozen seedless grapes are a great snack or dessert, keep some in the freezer all the time and just take a few out when ya want them. And kidney beans are a great snack too, open a can rinse them add garlic, good cold or hot, eat them like peanuts. Also a good way to add veggies to a meal is when you have rice or pasta throw some veggies in the pot. hope this helps, pea

There are a lot of good vegetable based soups around that are nutritious and low fat. They are usually easy to make and can vary from split pea to chili. Risotto (a rice dish) is quick and easy to make and veggies used in it can be varied to what your tastes are as well as to what is in season (most recipes call for Arborio rice, but I have also used Basmati). When thinking about having a salad for dinner, make a fruit salad instead. We do that a lot and it's a nice change of pace from a regular green salad.

Along with what was mentioned above, use those kidney beans in a green salad. They are a good source of protein and add a good flavor. Use peas the same way.

If you want more info. than you know what to do with, do a web search on one of the search engines (hotbot.com for instance) for vegetable recipes. There's a wealth of info. out there just for the clicking.

Here is a recipe that we like a lot and it uses a lot of veggies that can be varied per your taste and what's available to you:

Garden Harvest Chili

2 Tbs. cooking oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion or leek
1 can (28 oz) tomatoes, cut up, undrained
1 can tomato paste
2 cups water, more as needed to get desired consistency
2 Tbs. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can (16 oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups sliced zucchini
1 package frozen sweet corn
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar, optional

In a skillet, heat oil over med.-high heat. Saute garlic, peppers, mushrooms and onion until tender. Add tomatoes with juices, tomato paste, 2 cups water, chili powder, cumin. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low, add beans, zucchini and corn (add more water if needed). Simmer, uncovered, about 10 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Serve.

*I sometimes omit the zucchini and add green beans, spinach, peas, whatever I have on hand at the time. I also cut the corn by about half of what the recipe calls for, but that's personal preference.

Hello,

One way is to invest in a good juicer or blender. I've found that it's easy to drink fruit juices, shakes and even veggie juices that are very healthy. They are a chore to eat in raw form, but very easily go down as liquid. I play around and try different combos. However, you can probably get some good recipes. Bananas, oranges, strawberries, pear and pineapple are good blended in different combos as shakes. Lettuce and peppers and things, beleive or not can be juiced. Diluting with water or even another juice helps if a flavor is too strong in any particular food. I use a vita-mix. I'm sure there are alot of other good blenders or juicers that can make it easy for you to get your veggies.
A suggestion is also to visit a heathy store that makes drinks and sample different ones to see what you like.

Hope this helps...

If you enjoy eating fresh fruits and vegetables, try doing all the prep work as soon as you buy them (washing, cutting, etc.) and store them in your refrigerator in sealed containers. This way, they are waiting for you when you want a snack, and it is just as easy as grabbing junk food. Try out several different types of low-fat dips to go along with the fresh fruits and veggies, and you may be pleasantly surprised.

Here is a link that might be useful: Vegetarian-Tips

Up here in alaska, it's often difficult to get decent fruit, especially in winter. So, I've been doing a lot of smoothies lately. It helps to have a good blender. Then I buy frozen strawberries, cherries, or mixed berries, put some in the blender, add enough juice to cover, and blend 'til smooth. I'll also add bananas, kiwis, skinned pears, applesauce, melon.... Anything but fibrous fruits. Mango was sort of unpleasantly stringy, and oranges blended were just lumpy. I rarely add any sugar, and since you're using frozen fruit you don't need to add any ice cubes. I also sometimes add some vanilla or fruit-flavored yogurt to up my dairy intake.

Check out the Beverage forum for the Gatlinburg drink. It is wonderful and a good way to get a few fruits down each day. It makes a great breakfast drink.