Do you find yourself eating a bagel or cereal for breakfast, a sandwich every day at lunch and a protein and starch/carbohydrate at dinner…Sometimes we eat these types of food due to ease of accessibility and other times out of habit.

My challenge for the weekend is to increase your intake of raw fruits and veggies. A great way to achieve this is to have a large salad at lunch packed full of your favorite fresh veggies. Of course, please be mindful of the type of dressing you us, so you don’t ruin your healthy low-fat lunch. I prefer a little bit of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. If you feel like you “need” or crave a carbohydrate to go with it, grab a handful of multi-grain cracker that are low in sodium and are made from whole grains. Also at dinner, make sure you are adding a raw veggie or salad again. The key is “raw” for our fruits and veggies, this is due to the fact that you will get all of the vitamins and minerals that nature intended for us to receive. During the cooking process of vegetables, many if not all of the key vitamins and minerals leach out. The best method for cooking vegetables is to lightly steam them, never boil them as all of the mineral and vitamin content will end up in your water.

See how easy it is over the weekend to add at least 3 servings of raw fruits and vegetables throughout your day. Once you see how little prep time it takes, add this into your routine during the week. Not only will you feel better and have more energy, your body will thank you by getting the energy it craves from fruits and vegetables.