Eat more fruits and vegetables: That's the mantra from the government's new My Pyramid. But just how much is enough? If you go to www.MyPyramid.gov, you can customize the pyramid to your individual needs. For example, an active 8-year old benefits from 2 cups of vegetables and 1-1/2 cups of fruit a day. Eating 5 cooked broccoli florets, 1/2 cup corn kernels, 1 large baked sweet potato, 1 small apple, and 5 strawberries meets that goal. Here are several simple ways to increase your family's fruit and veggie consumption - and the amazing health benefits that go with them:

• Make a Smoothie:
  Blend together 1 cup 100% fruit juice, 1/2 ripe banana, a handful of frozen strawberries (or any frozen fruit), and 1/2 cup vanilla or fruited lowfat yogurt. This makes about 3 servings.
• Dice & Shred:
  Sauté a finely diced red or yellow bell pepper with your lean ground beef or turkey in recipes such as sloppy Joes, tacos, and chili, or peel and shred a carrot and mix it right in with your favorite tuna or salmon salad sandwich.
• Kick Up the Flavor:
  Turn steamed broccoli from so-so to sensational by drizzling with extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of coarse or kosher salt.
• Dip It:
  Dip lots of strawberries or raspberries in a little bit of melted dark chocolate for an after-school snack.
• Snack Attack:
  For your child's morning snack at school, stick to fruits and vegetables such as grapes, sliced oranges, watermelon cubes, carrots with dip, or crunchy green beans.
• Freeze Zone:
  Frozen peas or frozen blueberries are fun for kids to eat. When Janice's daughter Leah was a toddler, she'd nibble on frozen peas before dinner as an "appetizer."

Article by Liz Weiss, MS, RD: www.MealMakeoverMoms.com