You’ve been told to include fruits and vegetables in your diet for as long as you can remember, so why are we Brits so rubbish at getting our five-a-day? Let’s be honest, sometimes you manage three or four servings and give yourself a pat on the back for taking care of your wellbeing, but five servings EVERY day? Probably not. Still, your five-a-day is vital for your wellness, so how do you actually get your intake up and protect your health?
1. Think Outside the Box: One great way to eat more fruit and veg is to make them more interesting, so that you’ll actually want to eat them. Dunking veggies in dip isn’t just for parties, so crack out your favourite dressing or hummus and have a healthy and delicious snack. You can also sauté some veggies with olive oil and add your favourite spices. If you’re on Pinterest, there are thousands of creative ideas for fruit and vegetable dishes, so get searching.
2. Great Things Come in Small Packages: You know the mini versions of toiletries that come out in shops just before the summer holidays? Why are they just more appealing than their full-sized counterparts? The answer: because they’re small and cute! With fruits and vegetables, size does matter as baby carrots or grapes make for an easy and appealing snack on the go. Plus, the tiny versions of most vegetables actually tend to be sweeter and have more flavour in each bite.
3. Load Up Your Basket and Your Plate: Instead of getting your produce during your supermarket shop, go to your local greengrocers. Not only does this often work out cheaper; you’re more likely to purchase fresh fruits and veggies when you’re surrounded by them. Whenever you can’t seem to get your hands on the real thing, hit the frozen food aisle of your supermarket for equally nutritious alternatives. Once you’ve got plenty of produce to pick from, make sure they fill up half of your plate at mealtimes. According to the new USDA food guide, this should be a habit that everyone makes, as it guarantees one to two servings in a single sitting.
4. Slurp Em: If you’re not a fan of the texture of certain veggies but love the flavour, go ahead and slurp them in your soup. Vegetable soups provide satisfying new menu options to help stave off the winter chill, especially if you pair it with some nice bread. For an easy soup, pea soup can be easily made with fresh or frozen peas, and both taste just as good as each other. However, if you want a soup in the summer time – or any time of year – you can’t go wrong with a refreshing gazpacho.
5. Mary Berry Style: If you’re a dab hand at baking, why not add fruits and vegetables to your muffins and breads. Grating some carrots or scooping dried cranberries or raisins into your next batch of baked goods will add moisture and flavour to your bakes, as well as giving you another serving of your five-a-day. You can try classic recipes like carrot cake or banana bread, of you can impress your friends with out-there combinations like courgette and apple bread or blueberry bread.
6. Keep Them in Sight: If you want to eat more fruits and vegetables, you need to make them as noticeable and convenient as possible. Instead of hiding your produce away, keep them in a bowl on the kitchen counter. That way, you’ll be much more likely to grab fruit or veg after your busy day, rather dive into the bar of chocolate hidden in the fridge.