Learn to Love Vegetables

The USDA recommends five to nine servings per day of vegetables and fruits, and that doesn't include French fries. Many people don't grow out of their childhood habit of hating vegetables, but summer is a perfect time to try and make those valuable veggies taste great. Farmers' markets are in full swing and carry the tastiest varieties of produce, so pick some up and start experimenting. Many people don't like vegetables because they buy them at the grocery store, where the long process of harvesting, shipping and then sitting at the store has leached flavor out of them. Try eating the babies - baby carrots (the ones with the greens still attached, not the small version of larger carrots bagged up in the store), artichokes, squashes and turnips are more tender and flavorful than their grown-up counterparts. Fat is fabulous for livening up veggies' flavor -- try a sprinkle of an infused oil, butter or cheese.