We all know that health experts recommend we eat at least 5 serves of vegetables every day. While many of us do (or are close to achieving that target), could we do better? 

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Here are 5 simple ways to enjoy fruit and vegetables more.

1.  Include fruit and vegetables at every meal.

This really is easier than you think. Although it may take a few extra minutes of kitchen prep, it is totally worth it for all the extra nutrients and flavour.

• Top breakfast cereal, oats, pancakes or waffles with fresh or dried fruits.
• Serve eggs with mushrooms, tomato, asparagus, corn, leafy greens like spinach or kale.
• Fill at least half your plate at lunch and dinner with a variety of colourful vegetables, preferably with lots of green leafy ones such as spinach, kale, lettuce, pak choi and broccoli.
• Add frozen veggies to any pasta dish when you’re stuck for time.
• Snack on fresh fruit or vegetable sticks with hummus.

2.  Keep fruit and vegetables where you’ll see them.

When we are very hungry, rushed for time or bored, we’re more like to make unhealthy choices. Make the healthy choice the easy choice by storing fresh fruit and pre-cut vegetables at eye level in the fridge or pop a list of healthy snacks on the fridge door.

Heading to work or out for the day? Pack some fruit or veggies in your bag to stop you from reaching for the sweets.

3.  Be a green machine.

Green juices and smoothies are all the rage right now, and rightly so. Made primarily with vegetables (especially leafy greens) and minimal fruit, they are chock full of nutrients to nourish our bodies. Juicing increases vitamin and mineral intake much more than eating the produce whole due to the volume of vegetables in one juice. Think of it as a vitamin boost, not a meal replacement.

4.  Don’t skip dessert.

Sweet tooths rejoice! There are lots of tips and tricks to adding fruit and even vegetables into baked goods. Try these sneaky ideas (just remember to enjoy them in moderation):

• Whip avocado into an almost-guilt-free chocolate mousse.
• For slices, cakes and biscuits replace half the fat (e.g. butter) with pureed carrot, pumpkin, sweet potato or beetroot. Apple puree can be used to replace sugar in recipes.
• Use dried fruit such as dates and figs, raisins and apricots for sweetness.

5.  Home delivery

The weekly grocery shop is a dreaded chore for most – expensive, poor quality fruit and vegetables at the supermarket; having to haul them home only to find you have bruised half of them on the walk home and not to mention the precious time that you would much rather spend doing the things you love. Our customers enjoy the convenience of having fresh fruit and vegetables from the market delivered to their homes with some saying home delivery means there are no more excuses for having nothing healthy in the fridge!

What are your tips for eating enough fruit and vegetables? Share it with us on the comment box below!

_{This post was first published on www.sabinesbaskets.wordpress.com and has been reposted on Executive Lifestyle with the permission of the author.​}

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