Buckeye Fresh!

Eating the right amount of fruits and vegetables can help you get healthy, stay healthy and live longer. Here are some easy tips to help you add fruits and vegetables to your daily diet:

• Switch out high salt and sugary snacks for a serving of fruit or vegetables 
• Buy fresh fruits and vegetables in-season when they’re cheaper
• Look for lower priced “ugly” fruits and vegetables that are imperfect in appearance, but still nutritious 
• Remember that canned fruit and vegetables are nutritious, too. Buy canned vegetables in water with low salt and canned fruits in water, not syrup 
• Get low or no-sugar fruit cups for an easy way to get kids to eat fruit all year 
• Try a frozen vegetable mix to add variety
• Pair fruit and vegetables with other favorite food items, like bananas with peanut butter, apples with cheese or blueberries with oatmeal

An apple a day may not be enough to keep the doctor away. A global study found that not eating enough healthy foods led to more deaths around the world than any other risk factor, including smoking and high blood pressure.² The study also linked one in five deaths to poor diets — those short in fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts and heavy in salt — contributing to heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

This global impact hits close to home. 10.6 percent of Ohio adults eat the recommended amount of fruit and 6.9 percent eat the recommended amount of vegetables.³ Plus, obesity continues to be on the rise, with Ohio ranking 11th nationwide for highest adult obesity and 16th for highest obesity for youth ages 10 to 17.

Including more fruits and vegetables in your meals every day can make a big difference in your life now and for years to come. Buckeye members can contact Buckeye Member Services for help finding local resources for healthy food: 866-549-8289.⁴

This recipe is from Ohio State University Extension SNAP-Ed program, a Buckeye Fresh! partner. Find nutrition information and more tasty recipes and videos at CelebrateYourPlate.org.

Ingredients

• 4 ears fresh corn, husks and silks removed
• 1 cup green pepper
• ½ cup red onion
• 1 tomato
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Equipment

• cutting board
• sharp knife
• measuring cup
• measuring spoons
• mixing bowl
• large spoon

Instructions

1. Before you begin, wash your hands, surfaces and utensils. 
2. Cut green pepper, red onion and tomato into small pieces of similar size and add to mixing bowl. 
3. Stand one ear of corn on end and run a sharp knife down the cob to separate the kernels. Repeat with remaining ears. Add corn to bowl. 
4. Add garlic powder, lime juice, pepper and salt to the bowl. 
5. Chill salsa for at least one hour before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

Tip: This salsa can be used as a dip for tortilla chips or as a topping for fish, poultry or meat.