Eat Green by Eating Greens!
April has been a great Earth Month! In addition to a month of homage to our shared planet Earth, April aptly signals the turn of the season from winter to glorious spring and all its potential. It’s ripe with the promise of fairer weather, and for anyone outside major growing areas like California, it’s also the start of peak season for an abundance of fresh, local, fruits and vegetables.
What a perfect time to appreciate eating "green" by eating greens (and reds, blues, oranges, yellows … you get the idea). For the planet, eating green could be a great thing since plant foods usually use fewer natural resources to grow than animal foods. For your health, eating green is consistent with the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 recommendation to eat a plant-based diet.
According to the Guidelines, plant-based diets are linked to lower levels of obesity and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease – two chronic conditions that often exist together, occurring far too often in the U.S. A plant-based diet doesn’t have to be a vegetarian diet, but it is one that is firmly focused on a variety of veggies and other plant foods such as whole grains, nuts, seeds, fruits, herbs, and spices.
How Did You Celebrate Earth Month?
I celebrated (and will continue to celebrate) by mixing and matching simple, wholesome, single-ingredient plant foods in every meal and snack I enjoy. It doesn’t get simpler than a one-ingredient ingredient list!
I celebrated (and will continue to celebrate) by mixing and matching simple, wholesome, single-ingredient plant foods in every meal and snack I enjoy. It doesn’t get simpler than a one-ingredient ingredient list!
How to Get More Plants into Your Diet
Breakfast | ![]() |
AM Snack | ![]() |
Lunch | ![]() |
PM Snack | ![]() |
Dinner |
Oatmeal Apples Almonds Cinnamon |
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Cheddar Cheese Golden Raisins |
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Grapefruit Cilantro Lime Quinoa Salad w/Avocado |
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Pistachios | ![]() |
Bell Peppers Carrots Onions Parsley Brown rice salad w/Edamame |
Maggie Moon, MS, RD
Corporate Nutritionist
FreshDirect
Fruit & Vegetable Recipes
Video Center: Selection, Storage, and Preparation of Fruits & Vegetables.