How to up your fruit and veg quota.
Mar 31st, 2008 by katesaltfleet
Current government advice is that we should be eating at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Apparently the average Brit (and I imagine that it is similar for most Western countries) only eats three portions a day.
There are a few misunderstandings about what actually counts. For example potatoes don’t count but sweet potatoes do (and they have a lower glycaemic index so they don’t raise your blood sugar as much).
Those nice people at the NHS have put together a list of what counts as a portion size.
Top Ten Tips
1. Start as you mean to go on. Add fruit to your breakfast, either as a piece of fruit or slice some into your cereal. If you like museli, you could add some extra dried fruit as that counts.
2. If you are desk bound for much of the day, keep a mini fruit bowl on your desk to pick at. It will also help to prevent you getting tempted by the evil vending machine.
3. As I am a cheapskate, I usually take my own lunch to work. It also helps as then you are in control of what goes in to your food. Add some extra salad to your sandwiches and take an extra portion of fruit.
4. Home made soups are a great way of using up odds and ends of various veg that are kicking around the fridge going off. Pretty much any veg can be used, though I would avoid brassicas (like cauliflower and broccoli).
5. Have a glass of fruit juice with your evening meal. The vitamin C helps with iron absorption too.
6. Keep a selection of frozen vegetables - quick to prepare and less waste than fresh if you were going to cook them anyway. Add to pasta sauces and pies.
8. Lentils, beans and other pulses count towards your total. So if you are substituting meat with one of these you win twice!
9. Stir frying and curries are great ways to up your veg count and tastier than plain boiled veg.
10. Make a smoothie. Use ripe bananas as a base (you won’t need sugar) and add any other soft fruits you fancy. I like blueberries, mango and strawberries best. Kiwi and rasperries are also good, but the seeds can bit a bit gritty.
Any more tips? Go on, add a comment 
