(Family Features) - Despite the government, media and academia stressing the importance of eating enough fruits and vegetables, more than two-thirds of Americans aren't getting the desired daily number of servings, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If the growing waistlines of consumers are any indication, they are getting enough sweets. 

What if you could have both? Imagine sampling a nutrient-laden Red Satin Layer Cake with Peaches and Raspberries or a Carrot Spice Cake with Apricot Curd. Entertain guests with Stuffed Garlic Spinach Bread or serve up a breakfast of Sweet Potato Pecan Waffles with Praline Peaches. Or, whip up a healthier version of German Chocolate Cake.

Chef and cookbook author Andrew Schloss and the Canned Food Alliance have developed baked goods recipes that help you sneak in up to a half cup of fruits or vegetables per serving. They use prepared cake mixes and replace the traditional fat-laden oils with canned fruits and vegetables. You can explore these concoctions, dubbed CANfidential Creations, at www.mealtime.org.

Not only are canned foods a convenient ingredient substitute, they provide a great way to eat more healthfully. In fact, a recent University of California - Davis study concluded that a diet including all forms of fruits and vegetables - canned, fresh and frozen - is best. Choosing one form over another ignores the nutritional benefits that each provides, the study found.

For hundreds of healthy and easy-to-prepare recipes that make healthful eating easy, log on to www.mealtime.org.