Click here to watch video report about vegetables.

LOS ANGELES, Dec 12, 2005/ FW/ --- Parties, parties and more parties await most of us during the holiday season. The food is good, the company is great, but alas, fitting into that slinky evening gown is becoming hassle because of extra pounds gained from previous parties.

The answer to this dilemma is actually in your local grocery store – vegetables! Full of fibers and lots of vitamins and minerals with very little carbs, vegetables can be a girl’s best friend during the holiday season.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, only one in 4 Americans eats the recommended 2 ½ cups of vegetables per day.

If you’re watching your weight this holiday season, that number can go up. And truly, it is not that bad at all. Experts say putting a little taste into vegetables can make it easier for them to be part of the holiday meals.

Produce expert and former Food Network chef Curtis Aikens says even frozen vegetables can have great taste. With options like broccoli and cheese, corn niblets and butter sauce, and garden vegetable medley, taste is no longer an excuse to avoid vegetables.

Recipe ideas and serving suggestions are available online on web sites like www.greengiant.com