September is National Fruits and Veggies Month. The theme this year is “Have A Plant – Food Rooted In A Better Mood.”

The campaign promotes the importance of adding more fruits and veggies to meals each day, including fresh, frozen, canned, dried and 100 percent juice, which can taste great and are proven to support health and happiness.

Here are six easy tips for adding more fruits and veggies at meal time:

• Fill half of the plate with fruits and veggies at every meal and snack.

• Add extra fruits and vegetables to dishes, even if they already contain or call for them in the recipe.

• Substitute fruits and veggies in any meal. They’re lower in calories than many other foods.

• Always stock frozen and canned fruits and veggies for quick meal prep. Choose canned fruit and vegetables without added sugar, syrup, cream sauces, or other ingredients that add calories.

• Steamed vegetables make great sides. Add flavor with low-calorie or low-fat dressings and herbs and spices.

• Always have fresh fruits and vegetables in easy-to-grab places. For example, a fruit bowl, slices in the fridge, or a bag of trail mix.

Eating a diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables provides important health benefits. Selecting them and preparing them safely is also important.

Fresh produce adds nutrients that help protect from heart disease, stroke, and some cancers. In addition, choosing vegetables, fruits, nuts, and other produce over high-calorie foods can help manage weight.

Sometimes raw fruits and vegetables contain harmful germs, such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria, that can cause illness. In the U.S., nearly half of foodborne illnesses are caused by germs on fresh produce.

The safest produce is cooked, while the next safest is washed. Enjoy uncooked fruits and vegetables while taking steps to avoid foodborne illness, also known as food poisoning.

At the store or market:

• Choose produce that isn’t bruised or damaged.

• Keep pre-cut fruits and vegetables cold by choosing produce that is refrigerated or kept on ice.

• Separate fruits and vegetables from raw meat, poultry, and seafood in the shopping cart and in grocery bags.

At home, wash hands, kitchen utensils, and food preparation surfaces, including chopping boards and countertops, before and after preparing fruits and vegetables.

Also, clean fruits and vegetables before eating, cutting, or cooking, unless the package says the contents have been washed. Wash or scrub fruits and vegetables under running water, and cut away any damaged or bruised areas before preparing or eating. And, dry fruit or vegetables with a clean paper towel.

Another tip – refrigerate fruits and vegetables that have been cut, peeled, or cooked within two hours; one hour if the outside temperature is above 90 degrees. Chill them at 40 degrees or colder in a clean container.

Anyone can get a foodborne illness, but people in certain groups are more likely to get sick and to have a more serious illness: children younger than age 5, pregnant women, adults aged 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems.

More information about National Fruit and Veggies Month is available at fruitsandveggies.org.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has tips for safely preparing fruits and vegetable at CDC.gov.

This article originally appeared in The Indianapolis Recorder.

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