Eight easy ways to include MORE fruit and vegetables into your diet!
Here in the UK, the Eatwell Guide suggests that we eat at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables each day.
Now the reality is, in Blue Zones (regions where people live much longer on average than the rest of the world), these people tend to eat around 9 portions of fruit & veg a day! So, why is it that the UK recommendations are only 5? Because, at present, there are still no age groups in Britain that even meet this recommendation! Yikes! 🤯
So here are 8 ways you can add more fruits and vegetables into your diet, helping you towards a healthier and perhaps longer life:
1 – Smoothies
What do you usually do with fruit that you consider too ripe? Instead of throwing them away, consider creating a smoothie for yourself. If it’s super hot outside, then you could even consider freezing your smoothie which would make for a nice frozen treat when it’s ready! (However, be sure to limit your smoothie intake to 150ml per day due to the high sugar content).
2 – Soups
Again, rather than throwing food away as your first resort, think about ways you can be resourceful with the vegetables you’ve already cooked. If you have leftovers and don’t fancy eating the same thing twice or thrice, then perhaps you could use the leftovers to create a soup? This switches things up and ensures you’re taking in more vegetables than you would by throwing them away.
3 – Stews
I’ve realised that I actually do this without even thinking about it, and it’s honestly such an easy way to add more vegetables to your meals. Regardless of what you’re making, could you add [more] vegetables to it, maybe to bulk up the stew (or even add a stew to the dish)?
4 – Pizza
Everyone likes pizza, don’t they? (But if you’re that random one who doesn’t, leave a comment below!) Now while shop-bought or take-out pizza shouldn’t be your everyday meal, there are definitely ways to make pizza healthier. One of those is by making your own pizza at home with a wholewheat flower base, and the other is by adding LOTS of vegetables to your toppings (and pineapple if you’re #TeamPineappleOnPizza like me)!🙃
5 – Pudding
If you fancy something warm and sweet after dinner, then make your own homemade crumble or pie (again there are healthier options). And by stewing down fruit and making this your filling mix, you’re adding another lot of fruit to your meals. ✅
6 – Cakes
If you like baking, then adding fruit to your cakes is another way to add more fruit to your diet. You can choose either dried fruit or fruit that you consider too ripe to eat whole (such as bananas) — Mmmmm homemade banana cake 😋
7 – Fruit Salads
When you think of snacking on fruit, it doesn’t have to be one whole piece all by itself all the time. Combining chopped fruit into a fruit salad is a nice way to mix things up a bit from time to time.
8 – Sauces
Last on this list, I’ve got sauces. If you have a sweet tooth and you want to add a little sauce on top of your ice cream, or some jam to your scones (I know, sometimes it gets like that), then why not try pureeing some fresh berries? Instead of chocolate sauce or shop-bought cream, add more fruit to your life by using real fruit for your homemade sauce.
Closing Reminder
Now, I think it bears worth mentioning that, whilst adding more fruit and vegetables into our lifestyle is great, it’s not about the individual fruit or veg we eat that one off time, on that one-off week. No, it’s the overall diet we adhere to that really makes the difference. So, which of the 8 things I’ve mentioned are you going to implement into your healthier and more balanced diet?
Let me know, leave a comment below!
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Torema xXx
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About The Author: Torema Thompson is an England international sprinter, qualified personal trainer, UKA speed athletics coach (& nutrition coach in training). Through her personal brand, she helps athletes and fitness enthusiasts go from newbies to masters in their athletics and/or fitness.