Cast your mind back to what you ate and drank yesterday.
How much fruit and veg featured in your diet? If you’re like a significant number of people “not a lot” would be your answer.
It’s no secret that most of us should be eating more fruit and vegetables – way more – and for good reason.
Inadequate consumption was to blame for a staggering 5.2 million deaths globally in 2013, according to the World Health Organisation.
There are many reasons for insufficient intake, but also many ways to give fruit and veg the dietary stardom they deserve.
Here are 10 ...
Get more fruit and veg into every day
- Pair up – Combine veggies with other ingredients to boost flavour. Think stir-fries and bolognaise.
- Stagger your intake – Spread your intake across the day so you don’t have to meet your quota in one overwhelming hit.
- Don’t force it – If you dislike a certain fruit or vegetable, don’t force it down. Find ones that you do enjoy.
- Dip it – For a healthy snack, dip apple crescents or strawberries into yoghurt, or carrot or cucumber sticks into hummus.
- ‘Dessert-ify’ it – Make ‘ice-cream’ out of frozen, blended banana and ‘chocolate mousse’ from avocado and cacao powder. Use stewed, blended fruits to top yoghurts or desserts.
- Bulk up – Use vegetables and legumes to bulk up meals, then freeze the leftovers.
- Add to batters – Fruit or veg work well in sweet or savoury muffins, loaves and pancake mixes.
- Fill it – Stuff eggplant, lettuce leaves, capsicums, mushroom cups, cabbage and tomatoes with savoury fillings.
- Make it a habit – Enjoy fruit with every morning meal, as a mid-afternoon snack or after-dinner treat.
- Plan – Think about how you can incorporate fruit and veg into your meals before you shop.