When the USDA released its revised Dietary Guidelines in January 2005, the recommended number of servings of fruits and vegetables increased dramatically. The new guidelines call for the average person with an intake of 2,000 calories a day to eat two cups of fruit and two-and-a-half cups of vegetables every day, and for good reason.

Having a diet rich in fruits and vegetables offers many health benefits. Among them, prevention of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and certain forms of cancer.

So why aren't more people making an effort to add more servings of fruits and vegetables to their diets? Because they aren't sure how to do it. Well here are some easy to implement recommendations.

At breakfast, top your cereal with bananas or peaches. You can also add blueberries to pancakes, drink 100 percent orange or grapefruit juice, or try a fruit mixed with low-fat or fat-free yogurt. Try a main dish salad for lunch, or perhaps a slice of veggie pizza with toppings like mushrooms, green peppers and onions.

For dinner, plan a vegetable as your main dish. And how about trying a recipe that incorporates what the Center for Science in the Public Interest considers the most nutritional vegetable there is - the sweet potato.

The complex carbohydrate provides the body with vitamin A which is necessary for strong tissues and to maintain a healthy immune system, beta carotene which protects the heart and vascular system, and potassium which helps maintain fluid and electrolyte balance in the body cells, as well as normal heart function, nerve function and blood pressure. The sweet potato is also an important source of vitamin B6, iron and fiber which aids in digestion.

Here's an easy to prepare recipe provided by the Louisiana Sweet Potato Commission:

For more recipes and nutritional information about the sweet potato, log on to www.sweetpotato.org.

Courtesy of ARA Content