More Americans than ever about half will consume more fruits and vegetables this year. And because they can now be found in just about every food and beverage category, it is easier than ever to achieve this goal. 

The October issue of Food Technology magazine has shined the spotlight on eight different ways fruits and vegetables are now being consumed.

Coconut Water

This clear liquid found inside young coconuts is now blended with other fruit and vegetable juices including tropical fruits like mango, as well as spinach, red beet and carrot juices.

Natural Food Coloring 

With the increase in customers checking food labels for synthetic ingredients, manufacturers have turned to fruits and vegetables for naturally derived coloring options. Fruits and vegetables are minimally processed into purees and juice concentrates to extract the pigments that give them their color.

Cauliflower

Global product launches containing cauliflower increased 22 percent from 2013 to 2014 according to Innova Market Insights Innova Database, a food and beverage product database created by industry-leading food and beverage experts that collect the latest data from more than 70 countries. Cauliflower is now included in everything from pizza to ice cream and can be mashed, roasted or pureed.

Sweet Potatoes

The sweet potato the edible root of a tropical vine that is cooked and eaten as a vegetable has moved beyond an ingredient in pies and side dishes and can now be found in beer, sauces, juices, muffins and cheesecakes.

Exotic Fruits And Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables like celeriac, kohlrabi, rhubarb, prickly pear, sour cherry, passion fruit and dragon fruit have now become easier to find in grocery stores.

Chilled Soups

Classic cold soups such as gazpacho a tomato-based cold soup are finding new appeal with the addition of fruits and vegetables including papaya, cucumber, and watermelon and lemon coriander.

Cruciferous Vegetables

This family of vegetables has generated a lot of interest in the health world because of its cancer-fighting compounds. They are all members of the cabbage family and include kale, cabbage, broccoli, arugula, cauliflower, turnips, parsnips, watercress, rutabaga, sea vegetables, Brussels sprouts, dinosaur kale, Chinese cabbage and bok choy. Realizing these vegetables can taste good when properly prepared, chefs are now turning to unique preparations of them.

Yogurt

Yogurt a prepared food with the consistency of custard that is made from milk curdled by the action of cultures is now offered in a variety of new fruit and vegetable flavors such as fig, beet, parsnip, tomato, sweet potato, kimchi, coconut lemongrass and butternut squash.

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Reviewed By:

Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.