June is National Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month, so fill your plate up with the abundant delights of summer time. Home gardens are overflowing and farmer's markets are brimming with healthy choices for breakfast, lunch and dinner. As you probably know, the federal government recommends 3 to 5 servings of vegetables and 2 to 4 servings of fruits each day. That may sound like a lot, but actually it's not so hard to accomplish if you cut out unhealthy snacks such as chips, candy and sodas.
Even if you've never been a fruit or veggie lover, this month-long tribute to Mother Nature's bounty should give you something to chew on. Trade in your cheese puffs for carrots, your jelly beans for grapes and your French fries for oven-baked potatoes. Not only will your body thank you for the infusion of healthy foods, your taste buds will actually adapt to favor this new, improved way of eating.
During the summer months, you'll find lots of other celebrations in honor of fruits and vegetables. Gather up the family and hop in the car in search of sun, fun and all the fruits and vegetables you can eat. From Lentil Fest held each August in Pullman, Washington to July's Gilroy Garlic Festival in California, a crowd favorite is always the Lulling, Texas Watermelon Thump, home to the World Championship Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest.
Another way to celebrate Nation Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month is to dress up as your favorite variety. There are lots of costume ideas including larger-than-life banana costumes, apple costumes, grape costumes and more - it almost sounds like a recipe for a Fruit of the Loom commercial. If you don't want to dress up in a food costume, then suit up as a skilled cook or chef (wearing an apron and hat) who knows how to whip up every type of recipe.