1. Start Your Day With A Fruit & Veggie Smoothie

Starting your day with a homemade smoothie is an easy way to get a jump start on your daily fruit and veggie intake. You can make smoothies even easier by prepping several single-use smoothie packs at once. Use in-season fruits and vegetables for a simple, affordable, and nutritious breakfast.  If you’re making a lot of smoothies, it may be worthwhile to invest in a high-powered blender like a Blendtec or Vitamix. They can break down frozen fruits and veggies in seconds, and they’re great for making soups, sauces, dips, and other foods, too!

2. Keep Healthy, Veggie-Packed Meals On Hand

Keep a several servings of a healthy recipe, like vegetable soup, in your fridge or freezer for quick and nutritious meals. I’ve spent the past few weeks mastering my veggie soup recipe, and now it’s one of my favorite things to eat! Here’s the recipe:
Perfect Veggie Soup

Ingredients:

• 3 yellow onions, diced
• 4-5 stalks celery, diced (including leaves).
• 4-5 carrots, sliced into rounds.
• 4-5 red potatoes, diced.
•  2 cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed.
•  2 cans petite diced tomatoes.
• 2 quarts chicken stock.
• 2-3 teaspoons chicken bouillon.
• Salt.
•  Pepper.
•  Garlic powder.
•  Dried thyme.
•  Dried parsley.
•  Water

Directions:

In a large pot, heat a tablespoon or so of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and celery, and cook until softened.
Next, add the chicken stock and carrots to the pot, then bring the mixture to a simmer.
Add the potatoes, kidney beans, tomatoes, and chicken bouillon to the pot, then stir. Next, sprinkle in salt, pepper, garlic powder, thyme, and parsley to taste.
If the soup seems like it could use more water, add a bit until it achieves the desired consistency.
Simmer the soup until the carrots and potatoes are tender, but not mushy. Serve warm.

3. Add Flavor With Fresh Herbs And Spices

Fresh herbs are delicious, and can add tons of flavor to your recipes without adding sodium or sugar. Buy them in bulk when they’re in season (which is also when they’ll be least expensive), and freeze them for later! Just rinse them, dry them thoroughly, then store them in a freezer bag. Just cut off what you need, and put them back in the freezer to use later.

4. Utilize Quick Tricks For Processing Fresh Fruits & Veggies

Check out these tricks and tips for easily peeling, slicing, dicing, and storing fruits and vegetables. These tips are sure to save you time and effort, so you can spend more time enjoying them!
Mangoes
You can peel a mango using the rim of a glass drinking cup.
Avocados
Dice an avocado easily and with less mess by doing it inside the peel. Cut the avocado in half around the pit, then remove and discard the pit. Place a cooling rack over a bowl. Gently press the avocado down onto the cooling rack. Voila – a perfectly chopped avocado!
Bananas
Bananas ripen more quickly in bunches. If you want to slow down the ripening process, separate your bananas from the bunch and then store them individually.
Cherry Tomatoes & Grapes
Here’s a neat tip for slicing cherry tomatoes, grapes, and other soft, round foods. Place several of them between two plastic lids, then carefully run your knife between the lids. Quick and easy!

1. Start Your Day With A Fruit & Veggie Smoothie

Starting your day with a homemade smoothie is an easy way to get a jump start on your daily fruit and veggie intake. You can make smoothies even easier by prepping several single-use smoothie packs at once. Use in-season fruits and vegetables for a simple, affordable, and nutritious breakfast.  If you’re making a lot of smoothies, it may be worthwhile to invest in a high-powered blender like a Blendtec or Vitamix. They can break down frozen fruits and veggies in seconds, and they’re great for making soups, sauces, dips, and other foods, too!

2. Keep Healthy, Veggie-Packed Meals On Hand

Keep a several servings of a healthy recipe, like vegetable soup, in your fridge or freezer for quick and nutritious meals. I’ve spent the past few weeks mastering my veggie soup recipe, and now it’s one of my favorite things to eat! Here’s the recipe:
Perfect Veggie Soup
Ingredients:

• 3 yellow onions, diced
• 4-5 stalks celery, diced (including leaves).
• 4-5 carrots, sliced into rounds.
• 4-5 red potatoes, diced.
•  2 cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed.
•  2 cans petite diced tomatoes.
• 2 quarts chicken stock.
• 2-3 teaspoons chicken bouillon.
• Salt.
•  Pepper.
•  Garlic powder.
•  Dried thyme.
•  Dried parsley.
•  Water

Directions:

In a large pot, heat a tablespoon or so of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and celery, and cook until softened.
Next, add the chicken stock and carrots to the pot, then bring the mixture to a simmer.
Add the potatoes, kidney beans, tomatoes, and chicken bouillon to the pot, then stir. Next, sprinkle in salt, pepper, garlic powder, thyme, and parsley to taste.
If the soup seems like it could use more water, add a bit until it achieves the desired consistency.
Simmer the soup until the carrots and potatoes are tender, but not mushy. Serve warm.

3. Add Flavor With Fresh Herbs And Spices

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Fresh herbs are delicious, and can add tons of flavor to your recipes without adding sodium or sugar. Buy them in bulk when they’re in season (which is also when they’ll be least expensive), and freeze them for later! Just rinse them, dry them thoroughly, then store them in a freezer bag. Just cut off what you need, and put them back in the freezer to use later.

4. Utilize Quick Tricks For Processing Fresh Fruits & Veggies

Check out these tricks and tips for easily peeling, slicing, dicing, and storing fruits and vegetables. These tips are sure to save you time and effort, so you can spend more time enjoying them!
Mangoes
You can peel a mango using the rim of a glass drinking cup.
Avocados
Dice an avocado easily and with less mess by doing it inside the peel. Cut the avocado in half around the pit, then remove and discard the pit. Place a cooling rack over a bowl. Gently press the avocado down onto the cooling rack. Voila – a perfectly chopped avocado!
Bananas
Bananas ripen more quickly in bunches. If you want to slow down the ripening process, separate your bananas from the bunch and then store them individually.
Cherry Tomatoes & Grapes
Here’s a neat tip for slicing cherry tomatoes, grapes, and other soft, round foods. Place several of them between two plastic lids, then carefully run your knife between the lids. Quick and easy!