A Healthy Dessert. Top mixed fruit with a dollop of sorbet or sherbet for dessert.

Meat Substitutions. Make vegetable lasagna for non-meat eating guests. Instead of the meat layer, try spinach, eggplant, broccoli, carrots and mushrooms, or your favorite combination.

Fruity Condiments. Serve fruit chutneys and relishes as condiments.

Healthy Appetizers. Serve appetizers that use vegetables and fruits.

• De-seed a cucumber and fill with tabouli, hummus, or tomato bruschetta. Slice into ½ inch pieces.
• Top party rye with a thin layer of low-fat mayonnaise, a cucumber slice and a dash of lemon pepper, or spread with Tuna Vegetable Dip.
• Marinate mushrooms in your favorite low-fat vinaigrette.
• Top a thin slice of French bread or a melba toast round with a thin slice of part-skim mozzarella and sun-dried tomato.

Be Prepared for Guests. Keep frozen and canned veggies on hand in case of an unexpected guest or last minute invitation. Check out our “Top 10 Ways to Cook Anything” for some quick and tasty preparation ideas.

Add to Your Tradition. Make a new veggie recipe a tradition at your family celebrations. Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash makes a great seasonal side dish, and Green Beans with Roasted Red Peppers is a festive blend of green and red that looks beautiful during the holidays … or for any celebration. [See Recipes]

Add Some Sparkle. Offer 100% fruit or vegetable juice as a beverage. For a healthy and fun party drink, use seltzer instead of water to make juice from 100% fruit juice concentrate.

Healthy Snacks & Gifts. Don’t forget dried fruits! Add to a cheese platter or mix with nuts for snacking. A dried fruit and nut combination makes a great gift too! Assorted dried fruit such as cranberries, raisins, apricots, cherries, blueberries and apples with mixed nuts will be greatly appreciated.

Trays of Crudités. What’s a party without crudités? Include some different veggies on your vegetable tray such as jicama, turnips, zucchini or steamed green beans. If you’re pressed for time, pick up fruit and vegetable trays already assembled from the supermarket.

Decorate & Enjoy. A basket or bowl of fruits and veggies is a festive decoration or gift for the host of the party. What a great way to say ‘Have a happy, healthy New Year’.

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Key Nutrients in Fruits & Veggies
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