Easy ways to eat more fruits and veggies

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Have you been following your parents’ age-old advice to “eat your fruits and vegetables”?

If adding more produce to your daily diet seems like a daunting task, rest assured that one solution is right in your pantry: canned foods.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s MyPlate nutrition guidelines, half of your plate should consist of fruits and vegetables. Because cans seal in foods’ nutrition, freshness and flavor, they are one of the best ways to get more produce picked at its peak to your table. Plus, canned produce is on par nutritionally with fresh and frozen counterparts, and in some cases even better.

Additionally, the canned foods in your pantry – or “Cantry” – can be an excellent source of recipe inspiration. In a recent study, 73 percent of moms agreed that canned foods help them get healthful homemade meals on the table more often.

Unlock the goodness of canned fruits and vegetables to prepare delicious dishes like Pineapple Jerk Chicken, featuring nutritious canned pineapple and protein-packed black beans, and Gazpacho with Crab, made with canned crab and lycopene-rich diced tomatoes.

For more information about the benefits of canned foods, as well as recipe inspiration, visit CansGetYouCooking.com.

Pineapple Jerk Chicken

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Serves: 6

1 cup long-grain rice

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 teaspoon Jamaican jerk blend seasoning

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 can (20 ounces) Del Monte pineapple chunks in 100 percent juice, drained

1 can (15.5 ounces) Goya black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (4.5 ounces) Old El Paso chopped green chiles

1/2 cup Jamaican jerk marinade

Prepare rice according to directions.

Sprinkle chicken with jerk seasoning. In 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, cook chicken pieces in hot oil until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. With slotted spoon, remove chicken to plate.

Using drippings remaining in skillet, cook onion over medium heat, about 5 minutes. Add chicken pieces, pineapple chunks, black beans, green chiles and jerk marinade. Over high heat, bring to boil; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 10 minutes until chicken is tender, stirring occasionally.

Serve chicken mixture over rice.

Gazpacho with Crab

Prep time: 15 minutes

Serves: 4

1 can (28 ounces) Muir Glen organic diced tomatoes

1 can (4.5 ounces) Old El Paso chopped green chiles, drained

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and coarsely chopped

1 small red onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves

1 small cucumber, seeded and diced, divided

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon Tabasco pepper sauce

1 can (8.75 ounces) Del Monte Whole Kernel Corn, drained

1 can (6 ounces) Chicken of the Sea Lump Crabmeat, drained and flaked

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

In food processor or blender, combine tomatoes, chiles, red bell pepper, red onion, garlic and half of the diced cucumber. Blend until just smooth. Stir in red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper and pepper sauce. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

To serve, stir in corn and crab. Garnish with remaining cucumber and cilantro.

Source: Can Manufacturers Institute

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