WIN THIS: A prize pack from Green Giant!

Whether it's a fruit or a vegetable, it happens to be Mother Nature's candy. At least in my opinion, and I'm sure that many of you would be first in line to disagree. Although my hope is that quite the opposite is true. As kids, we hated them. But I hope that as adults we've all come to appreciate fruits and vegetables for the nutritious goodness they give to our bodies when consumed. Five servings a day, that's the general rule! One many of us struggle with. Lo and behold, that rule might even be overwritten these days. WebMD recently published an article that suggests we now need at least EIGHT servings a day in order to fight health issues like heart disease. Whether or not you're at risk, there's nothing wrong with being extra cautious. And really—all those fruits and veggies do wonders for your workouts, too. Yep, they do! They pump you full of vitamins and minerals, which (obviously) keep your blood vessels functioning properly. And it's your blood vessels that ultimately keep your muscles functioning properly. So you really should be eating at least five (maybe even eight!) servings of fruits and vegetables throughout your day. (Are you?)

Thanks to Green Giant via MyBlogSpark, I've been given the opportunity to review one such vegetable: broccoli. King (or queen) of fiber and C vitamins. More specifically, broccoli in a cheese sauce. The box you see at right, which can also be found in your local frozen foods section. Now, let me say honestly that I prefer fresh over frozen vegetables. (They tend to lack all the preservatives and additives found in packaged goods.) And I don't much like my vegetables drowned in a cheese sauce. (Unless I make it.)

But I'm all about eating healthy on the go—and this could be a very good "on the go" option, so I...well, decided to give it a go. Into the microwave it went, the little pouch of broccoli and cheese sauce. Out came the following, to which I added some freshly ground black peppercorn:

The ground pepper certainly added some pizazz to my tasty little lunch. Yes, it was tasty. If you're into Weight Watchers, this little box of veggies rings up two points per serving. If you're counting calories, check off 60 (25 of which come from fat). Be warned—there are two and a half servings in every little box, which doesn't amount to much per serving. But I guess if you're making it your lunch, consuming the entire thing could be acceptable. Although it might then give you a hefty dose of sodium, which is the risk you take when consuming frozen foods. Ultimately, you'll have to decide that for yourself. And you'll get the chance to!

I'm happy to announce that Green Giant is willing to send one lucky reader a VIP coupon good for one frozen sample. Oh, and all this stuff:

Well, minus the box of Broccoli & Cheese Sauce—that's what the VIP coup is for. They sent me everything you see above and I can honestly say it's a sweet little prize pack! The bag is insulated, and will successfully get your frozen foods home from the grocery store. The bowl is big, the spoon is rubber—both are just too darn cute. And the pedometer, well...super informative! And highly motivational. Are you taking enough steps throughout your day? Now you'll know for sure.

So if you'd like to win the prize pack above, leave a comment below this post describing your favorite way to eat fresh vegetables. Or tell me the frozen vegetable that always makes it into your grocery cart. (Be sure to leave me your email address as I'll need to get in touch for your mailing address if you win.) Bonus entries if you "like" Daily Dose on Facebook or subscribe to the Daily Dose emails. But that's enough about the prize pack, let's get back to vegetables.

In an effort to consume the recommended dosage yesterday, I made a gigantic bowl of fresh salsa. And it fit perfectly in the bowl from my Green Giant prize pack.

Seriously, I think this bowl is my new salsa bowl. (I hope you win the prize pack, you'll love it like I do!)

Good luck! Contest ends at midnight EST on Friday, February 11, 2011. The winner will be announced on Sunday, February 13, 2001. Now go, eat some vegetables. Or some salsa...