Creating a more balanced diet is a matter of changing your habits and the way in which you prepare your meals. Dieticians suggest asking yourself a simple question when you’re cooking a meal – “what can I do that will add at least one portion of fruit and vegetables to this meal?” One such way is to add a portion of fruit and vegetables to the side of your meal, even if you are eating a ready meal, such as sweetcorn or a salad.
For breakfast, you don’t have to avoid your favourite cereal – simply slice up some fruit such as strawberries or a banana over the top to improve the nutritional value. If a savoury start to the day is more your thing, you could opt for a healthy meal such as scrambled eggs on toast and add a portion of tomatoes or mushrooms to your dish.
As a mid-morning snack, take an apple or a satsuma to sate your appetite. Alternatively, you could take a pot of carrot sticks with a low-fat houmous as tasty yet healthy elevenses. Although this requires a bit more planning, it is an easy way to include one of your five a day. The same can be said of your lunch – you don’t need to forgo your usual sandwich or baguette, simply add some lettuce and tomato to it, or eat a portion of fruit as a healthier way to top up your lunchtime meal.
Meals outside of the home needn’t hinder your goal either though – if you are able to order a side dish, opt for vegetables instead of chips, or add an ingredient to your meal which will count towards your five a day, such as to a pizza. If your meal comes with a salad, make sure you eat it rather than leaving it on the side of the plate, as this will also top up your five a day intake.
Meeting your five a day quota doesn’t need to be a tricky task, it is simply a case of changing your eating habits and thinking of ways to make your regular meals healthier, such as drinking a glass of fruit juice with your breakfast or adding salad to your lunch.