It's official--again--that Americans don't eat right. A combination of poor diet, obesity and physical inactivity has become the second leading cause of preventable death in the United States, jumping by a third during the last decade and closing in fast on tobacco, states a new report in the Journal of the American Medical Association. "Our poor eating habits and lack of activity are literally killing us, and they're killing us at record levels," says Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson.

The dietary blame gets spread around--fast food; bigger portions; too much sugar, fat or carbohydrates--but the underlying reason is clear: Women are consuming 335 more calories daily than they did 30 years ago, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Men have done slightly better, adding 168 extra calories per day in the same time frame.)

Happily, the food solution is just as evident: Consume more fruit and vegetables every day. It's the single most important dietary change you can make for your health and longevity. As a bonus, you'll be able to lose weight and--the toughest task of all--keep it off.

Sound easy? With a little culinary and attitudinal adjustment, it is.

Most of us treat fruit and vegetables as an afterthought: They're plate fillers, side dishes and decorations, a little color in the pasta or atop the French toast. But what if these natural, necessary foods moved to the forefront of your nutritional consciousness? What if they became the outfit, not the accessory?

Instead of searching for a bit of greenery to offset a meal high in calories and cholesterol, start with vegetables or fruit as the main ingredients and build you menu from there. You don't have to go vegetarian (unless you want to); lean meats and fish are great sources of protein. But if you decide on cranberries for lunch, you know you'll get those nutrients whether you add them to tuna salad, baked salmon or just a trail-mix snack.

It's a terrific way to redefine dessert as well. Instead of crowning an ice cream sundae with one ripe strawberry, start with just berries and some balsamic vinegar. For a special treat, swap out the vinegar for a spoonful of yogurt, brown sugar or Grand Marnier. That way, you always have a healthful foundation, and the indulgence becomes the garnish.

Cooked with care and creativity, fresh produce can keep your taste buds happy while your whole body benefits. To get you started, here are five fantastic, simple recipes that bring fruit and vegetables into the spotlight, making them an integral part of a healthful, satisfying diet.

the simplest diet: recipes

strawberry soup

Serves 8

Fast and delicious. You can make this soup
ahead of time and store it up to two days
in the refrigerator.

6   cups fresh strawberries, washed and
    tops removed
1   cup orange juice
1/4 cup zinfandel wine
2   tablespoons Splenda (a no-calorie
    sweetener)
1/4 cup fat-free whipped topping

1. Combine the first 4 ingredients in a
blender. Pour into 8 bowls and serve with
a dollop of whipped topping.

PER SERVING (2/3 cup): 67 calories; 6% fat
(<1 g fat, 0 saturated fat); 82% carbohydrate
(13.7 g); 5% protein (0.8 g); 2.9 g fiber; 19
mg calcium.

mandarin toss with
mint-lemon dressing

Serves 6

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1   teaspoon sugar
1   tablespoon Dijon mustard
2   cloves garlic, minced
3   tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup fresh mint, finely diced
    salt and pepper to taste
8   cups butter lettuce, washed, drained
    and torn into bite-size pieces (or one
    bag of European-blend lettuce)
4   mandarin oranges, peeled and sectioned,
    or 2 cans mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into thin 1-inch
    strips

1. Place the first 7 ingredients in a medium
bowl and whisk well. Set it aside so the
flavors will blend. (The dressing keeps in
the refrigerator for up to two days.) Place
the lettuce in a large bowl, and top with
oranges and red pepper. When ready to
serve, pour the dressing onto the salad
and toss gently. Serve immediately.

PER SERVING: 110 calories; 53% fat (6.5 g,
<1 g saturated fat); 6% protein (1.7 g); 41%
carbohydrate (11.3 g); 1.5 g fiber.

california-style roasted
veggie burrito

Serves 4

Make these burritos ahead of time, wrap
them tightly in plastic and store them in
the refrigerator for a quick-fix lunch at
home or on the go. Try experimenting with
different roasted vegetables, such as carrots,
parsnips, eggplant and mushrooms.

cooking spray

3/4 cup commercial salsa
1/4 cup tomato, chopped
2   tablespoons cilantro, chopped
2   zucchini, washed, dried and cut
    into 8 long, thin strips
2   red peppers, washed, dried, seeded
    and cut into large sections
1   small sweet potato, peeled and cut
    into 4 strips
4   10-inch tortilla wraps (garlic and herb,
    spinach or tomato all work well)
1   cup canned black beans, rinsed and
    drained
1   cup cooked instant brown rice

1. Preheat oven to 400[degrees]F. Spray a cookie
sheet with cooking spray.

2. Blend the salsa, tomato and cilantro in a
small bowl. Cover and refrigerate. Place the
zucchini, peppers and sweet potato on the
cookie sheet and roast for 20 minutes, or
until the zucchini is tender, the peppers are
beginning to brown and the sweet potato is
tender but firm. Turn twice during roasting
to prevent burning. Remove from oven, and
peel the skins from the peppers.

3. Lay a tortilla on a flat surface. Spread 1/4
cup black beans, 1/4 cup brown rice, two
zucchini strips, 1/4 of the red peppers,
1 sweet-potato strip and 1/4 cup salsa along
the middle of the tortilla. Tightly roll the
tortilla into a burrito; wrap it in plastic to
compact the burrito and allow it to form a
roll. Repeat this step for the remaining
three burritos. Refrigerate until ready to
serve, or up to 24 hours. Can be served
cold or warmed in the microwave.

PER SERVING: 305 calories; 15% fat (5 g,
1 g saturated fat); 41% protein (31 g);
44% carbohydrate (33.5 g); 2.5 g fiber.

a daily menu

Getting a power-filled 8 to 10
servings of fruit and vegetables
each day is easier than it sounds.
Here's a sample lineup:

BREAKFAST

1 toaster whole-wheat waffle,
  topped with:
  2 tablespoons fat-free sour cream
  1/2 cup peaches, canned in their juices
1 cup vanilla soy milk

SNACK

6 ounces strawberry-kiwi yogurt,
  mixed with:
  1 kiwi, peeled and chopped
sparkling water with a twist of lemon

LUNCH

1 cup Strawberry Soup *
1 California-Style Roasted Veggie
  Burrito *
1 cup 1% low-fat milk

SNACK

1   slice of toasted nut bread,
    topped with:
1   tablespoon nonfat cream cheese
1/2 cup pineapple chunks
10  baby carrots
sparkling water

DINNER

Mandarin Toss With
 Mint-Lemon Dressing *
Grilled Halibut With
  Ginger-Mango Chutney *
1 slice French bread

SNACK

1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup decaffeinated Earl Grey tea,
  with:
  2 tablespoons fat-free half & half

NUTRITION VALUE: 1,996 calories,
20% fat (44.4 g fat, 9.8 g saturated
fat), 61% carbohydrate (304 g), 18%
protein (90 g), 1% alcohol, 31 g fiber,
1,407 mg calcium, 12.6 mg iron.

* recipe provided

are you fruitphobic?

The CDC now recommends getting five to nine servings of fruit and vegetables a day. But despite the variety of flavors and sweetness in fruit, half of all Americans consume less than one serving daily.

Our fruitphobia seems to be growing. "I'm afraid that the current popularity of low-carb diets is encouraging people to forgo fruit," laments Tufts University nutrition professor Jeffrey Blumberg, Ph.D. "Who would have thought that anyone could find a way to label something as nutritious as fruit 'bad' for you?"

If you limit your fruit intake, reconsider. Here are some simple ways to get these incredibly healthy foods into your diet:

1. Bring it with you.

Stuff your briefcase or gym bag with apples, oranges, bananas and boxes of raisins, so your only option isn't a candy bar.

2. Think fruit as you cook.

Replace cream sauces with tropical salsas; add raisins and apricots to stuffings and rice; grill peach and nectarine slices brushed with rum.

3. Dress it up for dessert.

Dunk strawberries in chocolate syrup; sprinkle crystalline ginger over mandarin oranges; mix kiwi into strawberry-kiwi yogurt.

4. Try new flavors.

With more than 60 fruits to choose from, Americans stick to orange juice, bananas, apples and apple juice, grapes and watermelon. Enjoy variety nutrient-packed mangos, berries, papaya or prunes.

5. Don't give up the right carbs.

Do cherries, pears and plums deserve the same fate as croissants and muffins? If you're watching your carbs, you can substitute whole fruits for dried fruits.

the simplest diet: recipes