Load up on fresh produce

You know what nutritionists say. You know what federal dietary guidelines advise: Load up your meals with fruits and vegetables. The fresher, the better.

If you're ever going to do it, now is your chance.

That's because summer is when conditions are best for shifting your eating pattern to take advantage of in-season produce.

The timing is ideal because hot weather makes us crave cool, light meals - ones easily built around fresh summer ingredients. Garden vegetables and fruits are fiber-rich and high in moisture content, so they're refreshing and low in calories.

They're also packed with vitamins and minerals and better for you than any supplement could be.

I discussed quick and easy summer meal ideas last month. Their simplicity is due, in part, to the fresh, seasonal ingredients so plentiful and good tasting right now.

Work substantial amounts of those ingredients into every meal.

How to get started

People often ask me how to get more fruits and veggies into their diets. Look for inspiration.

Here are a few kick-start ideas:

First, simply stay away from the pantry and oven. Make meals from ingredients that come out of the fruit bowl and refrigerator vegetable drawer.

Think of breakfast as a fruit op. Add chunks of cantaloupe, strawberry halves or blueberries to a bowl of cold, whole-grain cereal such as Shredded Wheat, Cheerios or bran flakes.

I add a little almond milk and a scoop of nonfat, Greek-style yogurt, too.

Try fresh fruit layered with nonfat yogurt and granola, or keep it even simpler. I like sliced papaya with a squeeze of lime juice and a slice of whole-wheat toast.

Build lunch on a fruit or veggie base. Scoop the seeds out of a cantaloupe or honeydew melon half and fill it with nonfat cottage cheese and a sprinkle of chopped pecans.

You can do something similar with a tomato.

Or take a plated, mixed green salad and top it with a small amount of a protein-rich ingredient (it will give the salad-based meal more staying power.) Better choices include slivered almonds, walnut pieces, black beans, and chopped egg whites.

Add sliced avocado and a handful of tortilla chips for crunch.

Other mixed summer vegetable salads also make substantial meals by themselves. Bean or pasta salads made with chopped carrots, corn, onions, tomatoes, and bell peppers and tossed with vinaigrette dressing are an example.

Add fresh ingredients liberally to cooked meals. Pasta and rice are good vehicles for this one.

The basic idea: To cooked pasta or rice add sautéed fresh spinach, mushrooms, or onions, diced raw tomatoes, fresh basil, steamed broccoli or carrots.

Get creative

Use your imagination instead of a recipe. My favorite cooked summer dish is hot, bowtie pasta tossed with olive oil and lots of chopped, seeded, raw tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, chopped walnuts, a handful of part-skim, shredded mozzarella cheese and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.

Every summer dinner table should also include a dish of sliced, raw veggies such as bell pepper strips, carrot sticks and cucumbers with a little Ranch dressing or another dip. A plate of tomato slices is another good side.

Keep fruits and veggies washed, cut up and ready to eat in the refrigerator for a quick snack any time of day or night.

Take full advantage of summer's bounty of fruits and vegetables right now.