The Eau Claire Downtown Farmers Market is filled with colorful produce this time of year.

Bright red strawberries, crunchy cucumbers, and warm corn on the cob means fresh, delicious fruits and vegetables. Despite all the fresh produce grown in Wisconsin during the summer months, almost two out of five Wisconsin adults report not eating fruit daily and one out of five Wisconsin adults report not eating vegetables daily. (That’s according to the Wisconsin Behavior Risk Factor Survey in 2021.) In addition, more than half of Eau Claire County high school students report not eating fruit and vegetables daily (according to a 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey).

The good news is you can increase your fruit and vegetable this summer by visiting our local farmers markets throughout the Chippewa Valley. Most experts agree that healthy eating doesn’t need to be complicated. Sticking with a few simple and sustainable changes will promote a long, happy, and healthy life. A few simple ways you can eat more fruit and vegetables throughout the day include:

Breakfast

Add bananas, raisins, or berries to your cereal.

Add chopped vegetables to your eggs or potatoes. Try onions, celery, peppers, or spinach.

Lunch

Put vegetables on your sandwich, such as cucumber, sprouts, tomato, lettuce or avocado.• Have a piece of fruit or raw veggie sticks instead of chips.

Snacks

Keep raw veggie sticks handy, such as green or red bell peppers, green beans, celery or carrots.

Have any type of fresh fruit: grapes, apple, banana, orange, kiwi, etc.

Dinner

Have a side salad with dinner.

Add chopped veggies when cooking soup, stew, beans, rice, or sauces. Try onions, garlic, and celery.

This summer, shop locally for your fruit and vegetables. The Eau Claire County Government Center Farmers Market is held on Tuesdays from June 20 through Sept. 19. For hours, location, and more info, visit tinyurl.com/ECCountyFarmersMarket.

Janessa VandenBerge, MPH, CHES, is a public health specialist with the Eau Claire City-County Health Department.