Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables is an important part of being healthy, and getting them into your diet is as easy as slicing and dicing — after you've properly washed them.

While fruits and veggie are healthy, they can contain dangerous germs that can you make you sick, such as Salmonella and E. coli. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that a large percentage of foodborne illness in the U.S. is due to germs on fresh produce. This means it's important to wash your produce before cutting and eating it, even if you plan to cook it.

When it comes to how to washing your fruits and vegetables, it may be more nuanced than you think. Whether you're cooking your produce or enjoying it in a salad, use these tips to make sure you're washing your fruits and vegetables the right way.