Featuring plenty of produce with family meals can be a great way to increase the variety of nutrients and phytochemicals, which can help maintain good health and promote growth and development for kids.  

Not a vegetable lover? You are not alone. Only 10% of people in the U.S. eat the recommended amount, which is 4½ cups a day.

Try these tips to serve up powerful pairings featuring produce for family meals: 

Blend - Mushrooms add a savory flavor and texture, especially to meats, along with added nutrients. Replace half the amount of ground beef or turkey for burgers, meatloaf, and meat sauce with cooked chopped mushrooms. Here’s how: First, finely chop or pulse the mushrooms in food processor. Next, heat a small amount of olive oil over medium heat and cook the mushrooms for 3 minutes, or until soft. Once they have cooled, gently mix them with your cooked ground meat. 

Shred - Vegetables that can be easily shredded, such as zucchini, beets, carrots, or parsnips, can be added to soups, stir-fries, pasta sauce and casseroles. These sneaky vegetables boost flavor, texture, and nutrition, often without anyone knowing they’re there. Use a box grater or food processor to shred vegetables. For a quick option look for pre-shredded options like carrots or cabbage in the produce section.

Swap - Sweet potatoes can be used in many of the same ways as regular potatoes, such as mashed, baked, roasted, or boiled. Featuring sweet potatoes will add more antioxidants to the plate, including vitamins A and C.  Sweet potatoes are predominantly made up of carbohydrates, the fiber and protein help balance the carbohydrates, making sweet potatoes a healthy complex carbohydrate option. A medium sweet potato baked in its skin has 4 grams of fiber, this helps bulks up food, keeping you full longer. Fiber also keeps your bowels healthy and lowers cholesterol. 

To promote healthy eating patterns for kids and adults offer a variety of fruits and vegetables every day. Start with familiar recipes you know your family enjoys and aim to offer at least one additional produce pick to balance the plate.