The road to healthy living is paved with good intentions: getting more sleep; exercising regularly; drinking more water, and consuming the all-important five portions of fruit and veg every day. There are some lucky people who have no problems getting their five-a-day. And despite the fact that most of us love fruits and veggies and have no aversion to them, we also love chocolate, cakes, pastries and anything sugary and stodgy. And more often than not, that's what we tend to opt for - especially when we need to dash. It seems such a mission to remember to eat healthily with our fast-track lifestyles where we're always on the go.
So we convince ourselves many a time that the jam tart we're scoffing is actually quite healthy because it contains jam which is made from, er, fruit; that coffee and chocolate are good for you because they are made from beans; chips are made from potatoes which is a vegetable so all good in the hood there, and sugar comes from a plant - need we say more! But seriously, who are we trying to kid?
SO WHAT COUNTS AS A PORTION OF FRUIT OR VEG?
There seems to be a great deal of confusion as to what constitutes a single serving of fruit or vegetables but it's widely believed to be around 80g. The following are examples of single servings:
1 150ml glass of pure fruit juice
1 thick slice of pineapple or melon
3 heaped tablespoons of pulses or beans
1 apple, pear, orange, banana or other similar sized fruit
2 plums or kiwi fruit
1⁄2 a grapefruit
3 heaped tablespoons of vegetables
1/2 an avocado
3 heaped tablespoons of fruit salad
1 heaped tablespoon of raisins or sultanas
3 heaped tablespoons of stewed fruit
3 dried apricots
1 cupful of grapes, cherries or berries
1 small bowl of salad
With the exception of potatoes, which are very starchy and aren’t included in the recommended five a day, all other fruit and vegetables count, whether they're fresh, frozen, dried, tinned, or pure juices.
But it's worth remembering that no matter how much pure, freshly-squeezed juice you drink, it still only counts as one portion owing to certain nutrients being depleted in the juicing process. And because they don’t contain the same vitamins and minerals as other fruit and veg, kidney beans; chick peas; lentils, and other pulses also only count as one portion, no matter how much you eat. Therefore in order to get a wide variety of nutrients, it’s advisable to munch on five different types of fruit and veg each day.
IS FIVE ENOUGH?
It's also worth noting that when people talk about getting their five-a-day, that's just the minimum amount that we should be consuming every day. Washing fruits and vegetables can reduce the nutritional content (but it has to be done!) And it can be reduced even further during the cooking process. And that's before we take into account that there's the possibility that a lot of the fruit and veg we consume may not so nutrient-rich due to environmental factors. So we ideally should be aiming for at least seven servings but goodness - it's sometimes hard enough just getting the five so we'll concentrate on that for now!
It's actually not that hard to eat the recommended daily amount of fruit and veg. It's just that we all live such busy lives these days and we've fallen into a pattern of bad eating habits. For instance, an ideal healthy-eating day could see you start with chopped mango and pineapple with yogurt for breakfast; an oaty, apricot flapjack with a handful of dried fruit and nuts a for mid-morning snack; prawn salad for lunch; a snack of fruit salad for later on in the afternoon; and salmon with spinach, asparagus, broccoli and potatoes for dinner. What could be simpler?
There are many ways in which you could effortlessly get the recommended five-a-day without overthinking it so it doesn't seem such a drag. Many of the ideas below are not at all unrealistic ways of getting more fruit and veg into your diet. It's unlikely that you'll be able to change your eating habits overnight, and lifestyle changes always seem a bit daunting but you'll gradually be able to work your way up to incorporating more fruit and veg into your diet - and once you know how easy it is, you'll be unstoppable!
1. USE REAL FRUIT INSTEAD OF ARTIFICIAL SYRUPS IN DRINKS
It's always disappointing when you call into a coffee shop, order a fruity iced drink, smoothie or milkshake - and find them pouring sickly-sweet, synthetic-tasting syrup into the glass instead of blending real fruit.
Well you can't control what your local coffee shop uses, but you can make delicious cold drinks at home using real fruit. It may take a little more effort than opening a bottle but it's so worth it!
2. GET SPIRALIZING!
Spiralizing has caught on in a big way where vegetables such as carrots, squash, beets and courgettes are cut into thin, spaghetti-like strands using a spiralizer before being blanched (if necessary) and added to salads or eaten in place of pasta with pesto or tomato-based sauces.
3. CAULIFLOWER 'RICE' ISN'T JUST FOR THOSE DOING ATKINS!
For some of us, the first time we heard about cauliflower 'rice', it was something that Atkins dieters were making as a substitute to rice, where they would pulse cauliflower florets to resemble rice grains.
It might sound quite bland but with seasoning, herbs, spices, a little chopped onion or crushed garlic, and a lot of imagination it can be very tasty. And of course now it's possible to make pizza 'dough' bases out of the humble cauliflower, or even use mashed cauliflower as a topping for shepherd's pie instead of potato. Oh and fried cauliflower 'rice' is so delicious and not nearly as heavy as real rice.
4. SNACK ON DRIED FRUIT AND FROZEN BERRIES INSTEAD OF SWEETS
Most of us love sweet, sugary treats but dried and frozen fruit can be deliciously sweet and it's a healthier way to get your fix of something sweet.
5. ICE ICE BABY
Blend yogurt, and honey with your favourite fruit, pop into ice-lolly moulds and you'll have a delicious, frozen sweet treat that takes next to no time to prepare.
6. GO BANANAS!
Bananas are so versatile and contain a lot of potassium which is great when you need an energy boost. There's so much you can do with them. You can have them on toast; in porridge; blended into a milkshake or smoothies for breakfast; coat them in chocolate and freeze them as an alternative to ice-lollies; mash them into pancake, muffin or cake batter; bake or barbecue them and serve them with ice-cream... the list goes on!
7. DREAM TOPPING
Purée some berries with honey and pour over ice-cream as a healthy alternative to sugar-laden ice-cream toppings.
8. JUICY!
There aren't many people who don't own a juicer - but there are a lot of juicer owners who don't use them. This is a real shame because pure, freshly squeezed juice is so much healthier for you and tastes much better than what comes out of a carton. And of course with a vast array of fruit and veggies available, you can have fun trying to come up with unique flavour combinations.
To prevent your barely-used juicer from just sitting on top of your kitchen cabinet, gathering dust in it's box, if you're a lazy gal or guy - as some of us are - when looking for a juicer, make sure you got for one that:
Is easy to store
Doesn't have too many different parts that need to be washed
Gets the most nutrients out of the fruit/veg
Doesn't require too much food prep
9. SWAP POTATO CHIPS FOR APPLE CRISPS
Slice an apple (or pear) very thinly; place on a baking sheet; place in the oven at a low temperature, and bake until crispy, turning over occasionally.
10. BLEND VEG INTO SHOP BOUGHT FOOD
There are times when we don't have time to make things from scratch - no matter how much we want to. But you can always add veggies to shop-bought stews or blend vegetables into shop-bought soups; add mushrooms to frozen pizza, or sautéed onion, garlic and mushrooms to shop-bought pasta sauces.
11. MAKE VEGGIE DESSERTS!
It started with carrot cake but now there seems to be a trend for adding vegetables such as beetroot, sweetcorn, pumpkin and courgette to baked goodies and desserts - and it seems to be going down a storm. It's great because you can enjoy the sweet treats you love so much AND get the necessary nutrients. So you get the both of best worlds! But please note, when we talk about desserts made using vegetables, we're referring to the healthier homemade versions made with a higher vegetable content and a lot less fat and sugar.
12. CHIPS AND DIPS
Dips and salsas taste so much better than the shop-bought stuff and they're so quick and simple to make. When you're having your mates over, or want to snack on something in front of the telly, try making delicious guacamoles and spicy salsas to serve with tortilla chips. Not only do they taste great but you'll feel so much healthier.
13. FEEL THE PULSE IN A CAN!
These are a great cupboard stand-by and a good source of fibre. A serving (three tablespoons) of canned beans or lentils can be added to soups, stews, salads etc. And let's face it - how much effort goes into opening a can?
14. LIVEN UP THAT SALAD
Gone are the days of boring lettuce, cucumber and tomato salads. Today we have a fantastic array of fruits and vegetables available - not to mention awesome dressings - which will change the way you look at salads forever and let's face it - it's not exactly a struggle to prepare a salad! A favourite here at PepperMint Teal is a prawn noodle salad with mango and avocado, and a chilli, lime and coriander dressing. Can never get tired of that!
15. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN'T DO WITH AN AVOCADO???
Back in the day, who would have thought that one day avocado on toast would be a thing?Years ago there was only one way in which people used to eat avocados and that was halved with a little salt, pepper and lemon juice. The humble avocado has since come a long way, and like the banana, it's quite versatile, and is making an appearance in breakfast dishes and even sweet recipes. Salads don't seem the same without them, and you can add avocados to dips, salsas, dressings, pasta dishes, pizza toppings, smoothies, shakes, desserts and it can also be used as a substitute for butter or cream in cakes and mousses. There was even a contestant on Come Dine With Me baking them - who knew?
There - it's as simple as that! The above is a guide to eating more fruit and veg on a regular basis. Did you struggle to get in your five a day and overcome unhealthy eating habits? What's your fave way of getting at least part of your five a day?
Images from Pixabay
Word cloud by Angel Noire
Another hack I'd share is preparing fruit and vegetables which you can then bag up and store in the freezer. When you've had a long day at work, the last thing you want to do is come home and start prepping and peeling, dicing etc. Ready prepared frozen veg is so convenient but what you get in the supermarket is so expensive for what you get. So it's a good idea to prep and freeze the produce yourself. It may seem boring while you're doing it but you'll be so glad you thought of it.
I like the sound of those apple crisps. Sound a lot more healthier than potato crisps but sweet and delicious. Does it matter what kind of apples to use?
There are some amazing ideas here that I think my kids, and my husband, will enjoy! 😀
@Fudge Brownie - And thank you! Glad you've found this post very useful. :)
I generally try to eat as healthily as possible but what can I say - I like a whole lot of things that are very bad for you! Thank you, this has been very useful.