This Saturday, June 16^th, has been declared Eat Your Fresh Veggies Day. Not sure who made this official proclamation of nutritious noshing, but I’m supporting it all the way for every day because I’m really into colorful stuff to eat that doesn’t come from a box.  As a carrot-crunching, mushroom-munching, lettuce-loving, zealot of zucchini, broccolini and celery, I usually have no problems getting my 3 to 5 servings of vegetables per day as recommended by the USDA  — check out their Fruits and Veggies Matter campaign that lists out more specific measurements for age groups and activity levels.

One of the best things about the spring and summer seasons is the bounty of fresh vegetable choices available to us city-dwellers and suburbanites. Say “no” to the canned food aisle and check out the produce section of your favorite grocery story or, better yet, head to the nearest farmer’s market for inspiration. Eat your picks fresh in a salad or grill, roast, steam or sauté them up lightly in a skillet to retain optimal levels of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants – for these same reasons, experts say that microwaving and boiling in water should be avoided.

Here’s what I’m having as the side to my beef fajitas on Eat Your Fresh Veggies Day, a 1-cup serving of Corn, Edamame, Grape Tomato Trifecta.  Simple to make, delicious to eat and inspired by a recipe from a favorite Mexican Food restaurant. This delish veggie dish is also yummy as the filling in vegetarian tacos, as a topping on chicken or fish or in an omelet.

Corn, Edamame, Grape Tomato Trifecta

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 cup fresh corn taken off the cob
• 1 cup shelled edamame beans (use frozen if you have to)
• 1 cup halved grape tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce.

In large skillet over medium-high, heat oil and sauté corn and edamame for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add tomatoes and sauté for another minute. Reduce heat to medium and stir in garlic and soy sauce until well-combined. Makes 4 (1-cup) servings.

Nutritional details: calories 118, total fat 1.7 g, saturated fat 0.1 g, cholesterol 0.0 mg, sodium 115 mg, potassium 119 mg, total carbohydrate 20.2g, dietary fiber 1.6g, sugars 6.3g, protein 6.4g. Daily recommended values: vitamin A  17.3%, vitamin B-12 0.0%, vitamin B-6 1.6%, vitamin C 58.1%, vitamin D 0.0%, vitamin E 0.2%, calcium 4.6%, copper 1.2%, folate 4.5%, iron 8.0%, magnesium 3.7%, manganese 4.0%, niacin 3.4%, pantothenic acid 3.0%, phosphorus 3.7%, riboflavin 1.5%, selenium 0.5%, thiamin 5.3%, zinc 1.3%