All of us know we need to eat more fruits and vegetables, and so do our kids. But most of us don’t even come close to getting the recommended daily amounts and that can have a serious impact on our health.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends we eat 7 to 13 servings of fruits and vegetables every day. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010 recommends making half your plate fruits and vegetables for each meal. Children up to age 18 need 1 to 2 cups of fruits and 1 to 3 cups of vegetables each day. Are your kids eating the recommended amount? If not, there are some ways you can increase their intake, even if you have a picky eater.

Keep fruits and veggies easily accessible
Cut up fruits and veggies and keep in the refrigerator so kids can grab a quick snack
Dried, frozen, and canned fruits and vegetables can be convenient too
Add fruits and/or veggies to other foods, such as stirring in fruit cocktail into pancake batter
(My aunt and uncle used to do this and it is delicious!)
Puree veggies and add them in place of water or other liquids in your recipes. They will add flavor and healthy nutrients without kids even realizing they are eating vegetables!

Another easy way to get enough fruits and vegetables into your child’s diet (and yours!) is to follow the recommendation of leading pediatrician and co-host of daytime talk show The Doctors, Dr. Jim Sears, for checking out Juice Plus. It is not a substitute for eating fruits and vegetables but it is the next best thing to ensure you and your kids are getting enough whole food based nutrition.

What is Juice Plus? According to their website,

“Juice Plus+® is whole food based nutrition, including juice powder concentrates from 17 different fruits, vegetables and grains. Each ingredient is specially selected to provide a broad range of nutritional benefits.

Juice Plus+ is a complement to a healthy diet. Juice Plus+ is the simple, convenient, and inexpensive way to add more nutrition from fruits and vegetables to your diet, every day. Juice Plus+ is supported by clinical research conducted by researchers at leading hospitals and universities around the world and published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Juice Plus+ is recommended by thousands of doctors and health professionals around the world.”

My family and I have used Juice Plus products and I highly recommend Juice Plus because of the benefits we experienced from them. I also endorse the products because of the extensive research studies that have been done for many years which have shown the health benefits of Juice Plus, and the ongoing continuous research they do. My oldest child participated in the Children’s Health Study a few years ago and it was a valuable experience and so easy. We experienced health improvements, fewer doctor visits, increased energy, and just felt better overall. The Children’s Health Study allows kids to get Juice Plus products for free when a parent or other adult becomes a customer.

“For every parent, grandparent, or other adult that signs up as a Juice Plus+® customer, the study provides Juice Plus+® Orchard Blend and Juice Plus+® Garden Blend free to a child, teenager, or college student for up to three years. At various intervals — after 4-8 months and then at the end of each year — adult participants are asked to fill out a voluntary survey to determine whether (and how) their families’ health habits have changed as a result of taking Juice Plus+®.” (taken from ChildrensHealthStudy.com website

I love sharing useful and beneficial products and services with my audience and this is one I truly believe can make a positive difference in your family’s health because I’ve experienced first-hand the difference it made in my family’s health. If you would like more information about Juice Plus and/or the Children’s Health Study, send me an email at MomRN@MomRN.com with Juice Plus in the subject and I’d be happy to refer you to a wellness coordinator who can help you.

Disclosure: I am not a Juice Plus distributor and have not received any compensation for this post. All opinions and thoughts are my own and have been shared with you as recommendation based on my own experience with the products. MomRN’s advice is of a general nature and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or otherwise replace the advice or guidance of your own healthcare provider.