Fruit and Vegetable
Extravaganza!
Eat Your Colors the Easy
Way

5 to 9 servings every day

1 Fruit serving =
1
medium-size piece of fruit
 ¾ cup (6 ounces) 100% fruit juice
 ½ cup frozen, canned or fresh cut up fruit
 ¼ cup dried fruit

1 Vegetable serving =
½
cup raw or cooked vegetables
 ¾ cup (6 ounces) 100% vegetable juice
 1 cup raw, leafy vegetables
Eat the Rainbow
Green
 Yellow or Orange
 Red
 Blue or Purple
 White

Ways to Increase Intake

Have 2 servings at breakfast
Drink a glass of 100% of fruit/vegetable
juice
 Top cereal or pancakes with berries or
sliced bananas
 Scramble eggs with chopped vegetables
 Have a smoothie made with fresh, frozen
or canned fruit

Ways to Increase Intake

Choose 2 different colored vegetables
at lunch and supper
Eat salads with romaine lettuce, dark,
leafy lettuce or spinach
 Substitute sweet potatoes for white
potatoes
 Stir mixed vegetables into soups, stews
or casseroles

Ways to Increase Intake
Have spaghetti with tomato sauce and
extra vegetables
 Treat yourself to a fruit salad for dessert
 Season foods with onions, garlic, chives,
parsley or other herbs and peppers

Ways to Increase Intake

Have colorful, healthy snacks
Grab apples, grapes, oranges, pears or
peaches for quick snacks
 Make a smoothie with fresh, frozen or
canned fruit
 Munch on raw veggies and low-fat dip
 Try dried fruit with nuts and dry cereal

Buying Tips
Purchase produce that is not bruised
or damaged.
 When selecting fresh-cut produce,
choose only those items that are
refrigerated or surrounded by ice.
 Bag fresh fruits and vegetables
separately from meat, poultry and
seafood products.

Storage Tips

To maintain quality and safety of
fresh produce
Keep perishable produce (strawberries,
lettuce, herbs and mushrooms) in a
refrigerator at temperature of 40° or
below.
 All produce that is purchased pre-cut or
peeled should be refrigerated.

Storage Tips
Storage Location
Store in refrigerator
Fruits and Melons
apples (more than 7
days)
apricots
blackberries
blueberries
cherries
cut fruits
figs
grapes
nashi (Asian pears)
raspberries
strawberries
Vegetables
artichokes
asparagus
green beans
lima beans
beets
Belgian endive
broccoli
Brussels sprouts
cabbage
carrots
cauliflower
celery
cut vegetables
green onions
herbs (not basil)
leafy vegetables
leeks
lettuce
mushrooms
peas
radishes
spinach
sprouts
summer squash
sweet corn
Storage Tips
Ripen on the
counter first, then
store in the
refrigerator
avocados
kiwifruit
nectarines, peaches
pears
plums, plumcots
Store only at room
temperature
apples (fewer than 7 days)
bananas
grapefruit
lemons, limes
mangoes
muskmelons
oranges
papayas
persimmons
pineapple
pomegranates
watermelons
basil (in water)
cucumbers
dry onions†
eggplant 
garlic†
ginger
peppers
potatoes†
pumpkins
winter squashes
sweet potatoes†
tomatoes
Preparation Tips




Cut away any damaged or bruised areas.
Thoroughly wash all produce before eating.
 Wash under running water just before
eating, cutting or cooking.
 Never use any detergent or bleach
solution.
Scrub firm produce such as melons and
cucumbers with a clean produce brush.
Dry produce with clean cloth or paper
towel.
What About Pre-washed
Produce?



If it states on package it is pre-washed,
it can be used without further washing.
As an extra measure of caution, you can
wash it again just before you use it.
Precut or pre-washed produce in open
bags should be washing before using.
Health Risks with
Raw Sprouts
Rinsing sprouts first will not remove
bacteria.
 To reduce the risk of illness, do not
eat raw sprouts such as bean, alfalfa,
clover or radish.
 Cook sprouts thoroughly before
eating to reduce risk of illness.

Separate for Safety



Keep produce that will be eaten raw
separate from other foods and from kitchen
utensils used for those products.
Be sure to wash cutting boards, dishes,
utensils and countertops between
preparing raw meats or seafood and
produce.
Use kitchen sanitizers on cutting boards
and countertops periodically.

If using plastic or other nonporous cutting
boards, run through dishwasher after use.
Fruit and Vegetable Juices


Select pasteurized products.
Unpasteurized juices



Should be kept in the refrigerated section of
the store or on ice.
Must have a warning label regarding
foodborne illness on package.
Fresh squeezed and sold by the glass –
does not require warning label.
Q & A’s about Fresh Produce

What is “Organic Produce”?


Produce grown without using most
conventional pesticides.
What is ethylene gas and how does it
affect produce?

Gas produced by some fruits and
vegetables when they ripen. Produce
harvested in unripened state will be
exposed to ethylene gas to induce
ripening.
Q & A’s about Fresh Produce

What does the “use-by” date mean on a
package of fresh produce?


It is the last date recommended for peak quality
as determined by manufacturer.
Why are wax coatings used on produce?


Wax coatings help retain moisture to maintain
quality from farm to table.
Waxes also help inhibit mold growth, protect
produce from bruising and disease and enhance
appearance.
What’s in Season?

Summer
Beets
 Broccoli
 Corn
 Eggplant
 Peaches, nectarines
 Summer squash
 Melons
 Okra

Berries
Chinese Cabbage
Cucumbers
Green Beans
Plums
Tomatoes
Zucchini
What’s in Season?

Fall
Acorn quash
 Butternut squash
 Figs
 Ginger
 Mushrooms
 Pomegranates
 Quince
 Swiss chard

Apples, pears
Cauliflower
Garlic
Grapes
Parsnips
Pumpkins
Sweet potatoes
What’s in Season?

Winter
Grapefruit
Kale
 Leeks
Lemons
 Oranges, tangerines Radicchio
 Radishes
Rutabaga
 Turnips
Broccoli
 Greens – mustards, collards, turnip

What’s in Season?

Spring
Apricots
 Asparagus
 Carrots
 Mango
 New potatoes
 Pineapple
 Spinach
 Strawberries

Artichokes
Avocado
Collard greens
Mustard greens
Vidalia onions
Rhubarb
Spring lettuces
Sugar snap/snow
peas
References
FDA – Center for Food Safety and
Applied Nutrition
 Food Network
 University of California, Davis
 Wellness Encyclopedia of Food and
Nutrition
