Fresh, healthy vegetables are not only an important part of a well-balanced diet, but are also a great way to liven up meals and snacks with wonderful flavors and textures. From ripe tomatoes and zesty peppers to crisp lettuce and crunchy carrots, vegetables are great tasting, good for you, and can help you break out of unhealthy eating habits.

Nancy Barrett is a registered dietician and a cooking school instructor at Kraft Kitchens, where she combines her passion for food and love of science to teach people about good nutrition and help them make sound food choices. Here she offers tips to help you add more veggies to your daily diet:

• Eat 3 to 5 servings daily.
  Nutritionists recommend eating three to five servings of vegetables every day. Many vegetables are excellent sources of important vitamins and minerals, and legumes, like soybeans and chickpeas, can be good meat substitutes, as they are high in protein.
  
• Choose veggies for snacks.
  When you think of snacks, try to think of a vegetable instead of cookies or other sweets. Cut up some fresh vegetables and keep them in the fridge to satisfy snack urges, or to serve as colorful, easy-to-grab munchies for the kids.
  
• Take veggies to work.
  Throw some finger-friendly vegetables, like baby carrots, sugar snap peas, or cherry tomatoes, in a baggie. Bring them with you when you head to work, school, or whenever you'll be away from the house and will need a snack.
  
• Make salad a meal.
  And finally, make a salad a meal, rather than a side dish. Make sure you represent at least 3 of the food groups, and get creative. Add cheese, chicken strips, a hard-boiled egg, your favorite nuts, or whatever you like to liven up those greens.

For more information about cooking and nutrition, check out the following website:

Kraft Foods
www.kraftfoods.com