What’s your number? (Pesto Coleslaw)

How many servings of fruits and vegetables should you consume each day?

The number depends on:

Gender
Age
Activity level

To figure out how many servings you (and your family need) check out: http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/downloads/General_Audience_Brochure.pdf

I need 2 cups of fruit and 2 ½ cups of vegetables each day.

Here is a breakdown of how I met my fruit and veggie requirements yesterday:

Breakfast: banana with almond butter and coconut milk latte

Snack: apple and nuts

Lunch: 2 poached eggs with wilted spinach, portabella mushrooms, sliced tomatoes and small fruit salad (Mother’s day brunch at Meli’s- love this place)!

Dinner: chicken with pesto coleslaw

Dessert: Cherry Amaretto ice cream with chocolate chips (I’m not counting the cherries)!

Fruit total: 3 cups

Veggie total: 3 cups

If you’re looking to improve your diet, one simple place to start is tracking your fruit and vegetable intake. Personally, I find the hardest part about eating more fruits and vegetables is planning. For my family of two, we need to purchase 34 cups of fruit and 42 cups of vegetables each week (assuming that most of our meals are consumed at home). That is a lot of produce! I often purchase pre-chopped veggies (baby carrots, coleslaw and baby spinach) because it cuts down on prep time and I find I am much more likely to consume it if is ready to go! One of my go-to veggie sides is pesto coleslaw. It is so easy and delish!

Here is what you need:

1 ½ cups of coleslaw (I prefer a mix of green cabbage, carrots, and red cabbage- Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s sell a 1 lb bag for $2)