Salad, pizza delicious ways to get fruit, veggies

Americans know they should be eating more fruits and vegetables, but they just don’t.

The Produce for Better Health Foundation and Centers for Disease Control are launching a new campaign this week to help people bridge that gap.

“Fruits and Veggies – More Matters” is the next generation of the “5 A Day for Better Health” campaign which started 15 years ago.

“The message is intentionally simple,” said Elizabeth Pivonka, president of Produce for Better Health, in a news release. “Most people benefit from eating more fruits and vegetables each day.”

All forms count, she added, including, fresh, frozen, canned, dried and 100 percent juice.

The groups’ new Web site can help with ideas for upping your daily intake. Go to www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org for recipes, tips and advice. The Web site is also sponsoring a contest inviting families to submit their own favorite recipe or preparation tip. The winner receives a chance to learn easy, healthy cooking methods from an expert chef at The Culinary Institute of America.

Here are two recipes from the new site.

Broccoli Mandarin Orange Salad

Recipe developed for Produce for Better Health Foundation by Chef Carmen I. Jones. Each serving contains 1 cup of fruit and vegetables per serving.

5 cups broccoli florets

2 tablespoons almonds

2 (11-ounce) cans of mandarin orange sections, well drained

1 orange, grated peel and juice

5 green onions, chopped

3 tablespoons white vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper, optional

Steam broccoli florets in covered saucepan for 3 minutes only. Remove quickly and rinse with cold running water until broccoli is no longer warm. Do not cook further. Place in serving bowl and chill, covered. Meanwhile, in a medium-sized bowl, combine almonds, drained mandarin oranges, grated peel and juice from orange, green onions, and remaining ingredients except for salt and pepper. Toss gently and allow to stand at room temperature for about 15 to 30 minutes. When ready to serve, pour marinated orange mixture on chilled broccoli and toss very gently. Season to taste with salt and pepper, if desired, and serve.

Note: Vividly green vegetables such as green beans, cucumbers, broccoli and zucchini will slowly turn a drab yellow-green color when in the presence of acids for a moderate period. To keep this salad bright in color, the orange-flavored salad dressing is added just before serving.

Yield: 6 servings

Nutrition information per serving: 84 calories, 3.4 grams fat (.4 grams saturated, 33 percent fat calories), 3 grams protein, 13 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 3 grams dietary fiber, 19 milligrams sodium.

T-Rex Tortilla Pizza

Recipe developed for Produce for Better Health Foundation by Chef Mark Goodwin. It appears in the “Cool Fuel for Kids” cookbook. The recipe contains 1/2 cup of vegetables per serving.

Butter-flavored cooking spray

1 (6 inch) flour tortilla

1/2 cup frozen yellow corn, cooked

1 1/2 tablespoons cooked chicken breast, shredded

1 tablespoon cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 teaspoon dried chives

1 1/2 tablespoons mild salsa

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook corn according to package instructions. Spray cookie sheet with cooking oil. Place tortilla on oiled sheet. Top with chicken, cooked corn, cheese, chives and salsa. Bake for 10 minutes. Cut in quarters and serve.

Yield: 1 serving

Nutrition per serving: 257 calories, 7.6 grams fat (2.4 grams saturated, 26 percent fat calories), 12 grams protein, 38 grams carbohydrate, 19 milligrams cholesterol, 4 grams dietary fiber, 441 milligrams sodium.