We all know that we should be eating upwards of 5 portions of fruit and veg a day but how often do you get to the end of the week and realise that you have forgotten all about the humble vegetable? Here are my 5 top tips to make sure you smash your 5 a day, every day:
- Start your day with a green smoothie. Make a fruit smoothie and add a chunk of frozen spinach and some lime juice and you can have 2-3 portions nailed before you even have breakfast*!
- Fruit at breakfast. Although fruits are high in sugars it’s so easy to add a handful of raspberries and blueberries into your morning porridge (either as a topping or chuck them in straight from the freezer to cook down as the porridge cooks). My banana pancakes are another favourite which also gets some eggs in for protein which will make you feel fuller for longer.
- Veg with lunch and dinner. Make sure you have veg with every lunch and diner. You can prep in advance by roasting loads of veg to keep in the fridge which you can then eat cold or heat up to add to the side of any meal. Get creative too, the days of meat and two veg are long gone…think bright and colourful and you’ll be getting loads of vitamins and minerals as well. Remember many vegetables are low in calories so you can eat plenty of them. Courgettes, peppers, cabbage, kale, sprouts and aubergine are all a case in point.
- Snack on fruit or veg. Apples are low in calorie and high in nutrients. One red pepper contains your daily recommended vitamin C! Slice it up and eat it raw instead of crisps or biscuits.
- Make vegetables the stars of more of your meals. Veg is often an afterthought shoved on the plate because we feel we should.If you make veg the star of the show you’ll be surprised how quickly you’ll be hitting your 5 a day. Be careful though, don’t always opt to make a veg version of meat dishes (veggie burgers, veggie lasagne, veggie sausages). Instead make meals that are about celebrating vegetables in all their glory…a whole roasted cauliflower, a vegetable curry or beetroot patties with roasted veg and greens are all amazing!
