Everyone knows how important it is to eat plenty of vegetables and fruit but sometimes it’s hard to get your recommended five a day. Here are some tips to help increase your fruit and veggie intake…
- Snack on raw vegetables such as carrot sticks, plum tomatoes, apples or bananas. They’re better for you than lollies and will keep you feeling full up until it’s time for your next meal.
- Make soup. Get a variety of vegetables, boil them for 15-20 minutes in vegetable stock and then blend them into a liquid. And viola, you have delicious and nutritious vegetables to go.
- Add salad to your sandwiches. Really pack that green stuff in to add to the nutritional value of your lunch.
- Buy a juicer. Commercial fruit juices are often made from concentrated juices that are virtually devoid of all vitamins and minerals. Make your own fruit and vegetable juices – they make for the perfect healthy start to the day.
- Try to include a variety of different coloured vegetables at each and every meal. Aim for three different veggies to ensure you get a broad spectrum of healthy nutrients.
- Eat fruit for your desserts. Fruit can be stewed, baked, added to rice pudding and cakes or eaten fresh, as in fruit salad. Fruit is naturally sweet and can help eliminate any sugary cravings you might have. Dried fruit is also a viable option but be careful as it provides a concentrated hit of calories and it’s all too easy to eat a lot of dried fruit in a single sitting.
Fruit and vegetables are essential for health so make sure you are getting at least five portions a day!