House & Garden

Easy Ways To Get Your Five A Day

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It’s very common knowledge that the best way to good health is through fresh fruit and vegetables. But let’s be honest. Getting them into your daily lifestyle is not always as easy as it sounds. You might have kids that will refuse their entire meal if they see a vegetable. Or you might not have the time to cook a full meal from scratch every evening.

Smoothies have always been a firm favourite of mine. I’ve been enjoying them for years. Some fruits are blended with low-fat yogurt to make a thick and delicious milkshake type beverage. There are also some gorgeous smoothies that are just fruit if you want to avoid the dairy.

If you look on websites like healthybutsmart.com, you’ll see there are plenty of different blenders out there. They can make a mush of your fruit in minutes. You can also do the same with vegetables, or mix the two together. Try not to peel everything though, because much of the fibre is in the skin. You can find some yummy smoothie recipes online.

If you struggle to get your five a day in, smoothies certainly seem a good way to quickly take on the nutrition you need. It beats taking supplements as well. The fibre of the fruits and vegetables help bind fats from your diet and aid your digestive process. However, there is also something to be said for supplements. If you are unwell, or you can’t eat a rounded diet, these can help keep you healthy.

Another way to ensure you are getting enough vegetables in your diet is to make soup. Soup makers have come down in price a lot recently. If you stick to vegetarian recipes, all you need to do is throw in your veg and water, wait half an hour and pour. You can make two or three portions, and freeze the leftovers for another day. Just microwave to reheat.

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If you are cooking a meal, why not make your sauce or gravy base from pureed vegetables? This helps get another portion of veg into you and the kids. Sometimes children are more happy about eating veg if it is mushy or diced. Shape and texture can be important to all of us. Use a chopper or blender wand to alter the shape and texture of your vegetables. This can be quite effective, and doesn’t cost you the nutritional benefits.

Raw vegetables are great for snacking. Have you tried carrot sticks, cucumber sticks and halved cherry tomatoes? If you like to nibble in front of the TV or sat at your desk, why not swap out the biscuit pack for these? It helps contribute to your five a day and tastes amazing with a fresh avocado dip. The mix of textures helps too. Throw in some raisins and other dried fruits for a nice mix.

It might take a little thinking and planning to increase your intake of fresh fruit and vegetables. But it can be done with a minimum of effort. The idea is to make it into a habit. If it’s always there and a part of your lifestyle, it will also be easier to keep it up. Enjoy.

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