On this week's Liz's Healthy Table podcast, I'm celebrating the best and brightest that summer produce has to offer, and I hope you'll join me by tuning in and sharing your summer produce stories in the comments section at the end of this post. I want to know what’s growing in your garden, what’s for sale at your local farmers’ market, and which summer fruit or vegetable you can’t stop eating. For me ... it's cabbage! I’ve been grilling it all summer and my family has happily joined the obsession.

Today’s guest is Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, MS, RDN, a mother of three and President and CEO of the Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH). PBH is dedicated to helping consumers live healthier, happier lives by eating more fruits and vegetables. While today’s show highlights fresh summer produce, I want to remind you that frozen, canned, dried, and even 100% fruit juice all count toward your daily fruit and vegetable consumption. Eating your greens (and yellows, and reds, and oranges ...) may sound easy, but about 90% of U.S. consumers still struggle to get enough fruits and vegetables into their diets. That’s why I wanted to devote an episode to the importance of fruits and vegetables.

On the show, Wendy and I discuss PBH’s new campaign, Have A Plant, aimed and encouraging all of us to eat and enjoy more produce. And we share snack and meal ideas to keep you busy cooking up fresh produce for the rest of the summer.

Show Highlights:

• Grilled cabbage: try my easy foil packet method to caramelize and sweeten this perfect veggie side dish in less than 30 minutes on the grill
• Why Americans are not eating the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables
• Why most of us need to double our consumption of fruits and vegetables
• Current family favorites: for Wendy, watermelon, and for Liz, roasted radishes
• Why “5 A Day” fruits and vegetables is a baseline, but more is better
• The new recommendation that ½ your plate should be fruits and vegetables
• The Have A Plant campaign, rooted in behavioral science and extensive consumer research
• How PBH is changing people’s relationship with fruits and vegetables with a new approach
• The research from Australia and New Zealand showing that frequent fruit and vegetable consumers report much greater overall satisfaction and happiness with life
• The emotional AND health benefits of eating fruits and vegetables
• The importance of exposure to new fruits and vegetables, especially for moms so their kids can cultivate an enjoyment
• How social media affects food trends with fruits and vegetables
• Ideas for using summer produce:
• • Whole carrots: roasted, glazed, or shaved in curlicues on salads
  • Watermelon: carved into shapes, grilled, or blended into drinks and smoothies
  • Zucchini: grilled, fried, or spiralized into noodles or on salads
  • Jackfruit: can be used in vegan meals as meat substitutes
• Tips for using more summer fruits and vegetables:
• • Farmers’ Market scavenger hunt for kids
  • Grill fruits and vegetables
  • Try specialty produce items
  • Use frozen smoothie kits or try a smoothie bar at home
  • Use canned fruit cups for road trips
  • Add dried fruit in trail mix
• What’s hot in produce for 2020? Wendy says, “The next big thing will be specialty produce items, specialty packaging, and powerful produce pairings.” 

Resources:

For the research and science behind Have a Plant, tune in to the Sound Bites podcast with Melissa Joy Dobbins: https://www.soundbitesrd.com/podcast-episode-123-have-a-plant-the-roots-of-healthy-eating-wendy-reinhardt-kapsak/

Produce for Better Health

- Website: https://fruitsandveggies.org/

- Twitter: https://www.facebook.com/FruitsandVeggies/

- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FruitsandVeggies/

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fruitsandveggies/ 

- Have a Plant: https://fruitsandveggies.org/join-the-movement/ 

- Jackfruit: https://fruitsandveggies.org/stories/insiders-viewpoint-try-meat-alternative-national-nutrition-month-jackfruit/ 

- Wiki page on Jackfruit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackfruit

www.superhealthykids.com

www.parentsondemand.com