9 ways to get your full serving of fruits and veggies

It can seem like an exercise in itself trying to get your daily serving of fruits and veggies, but it doesn't have to be. A serving is smaller than you think and easier to get. These helpful hints will help you hit the magic number.

• You know you're supposed to get nine servings of fruits and vegetables, but the thought of all that healthy stuff might make you, well, nauseated.
• What if we told you that when it comes to fruits and veggies, a serving is really a relatively tiny amount?

Here are easy ways to get your nine in one day (without throwing up):

• One 200-gram (seven-ounce) bag of washed lettuce equals a bit more than one serving.
• Add a sliced tomato, a cut-up apple and 50 grams (1/4 cup) raisins and you've just eaten four servings.
• Top your super salad with cooked chicken or diced, hard-boiled egg whites for protein and you've got lunch.

• Freeze 50 grams (1/4 cup) blueberries and 50 grams (1/4 cup) grapes and munch on them during your favourite TV program. That gets you up to six servings.

• For a before-dinner snack, dip 50 grams (1/2 cup) carrots into low-fat ranch dressing. Now you're up to seven.

• Sprinkle chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts over green beans.

• One 225-millilitre (eight-ounce) serving of low-sodium V8 juice provides two vegetable servings. Voilà! You've hit the magic nine and it's not even dinnertime.

• Drizzle honey, maple syrup or fruit juice on steamed carrots or sweet potatoes.

Nothing brings out the natural sweetness of veggies like roasting. You can roast nearly anything, but our favorites are carrots, onions, beets, turnips, rutabagas and Brussels sprouts.

1. Just cut into chunks, mix with enough canola oil to coat, sprinkle with kosher salt and spread in a single layer on a greased pan.
2. Roast in a preheated 230°C (450°F) oven until browned on the outside and fork-tender on the inside.

1. Cut the florets off a cauliflower and cut them up into bite-size pieces.
2. Mix the cauliflower pieces with 30 millilitres (two tablespoons) canola oil and sprinkle with kosher salt.
3. Preheat the oven to 230°C (450°F).
4. Spread the pieces on a cookie sheet and bake them until they are brown, turning them once.
5. Now pop a movie in the DVD player; then settle back and pop this healthy version of popcorn in your mouth.

• There's a reason spaghetti squash got its moniker — the strands of golden squash really do look like spaghetti, only they pack a much more powerful punch.

Take the pretend pasta one step further by topping the strands with tomato sauce and a curl of fresh Parmesan cheese.