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Have 5 a day

Posted by Amy Smith5-a-day, vegetables

A woman holding a basket with many fruits and vegetables in it
5-a-day fruit & vegetable tips

Why so many? The World Health Organisation (WHO) says eating 400g or more a day (5 x 80g portions) of fruit and vegetables lowers the risk of serious health conditions, such as heart disease, stroke and some types of cancers.

So how can we get up to 5 a day more easily?

  • Plan how you’ll use them (realistically!)
    • What meals do you and the family like – can you add some chopped tomatoes, onion, sweetcorn ‘hidden’ somewhere?
    • What fruit or veg will you have for breakfast, lunch & dinner? Buy the right amounts with an idea of when you’ll use them
    • Bored of the same old? Plan to try a new veg and make it centre of attention. Like roasting a butternut squash for the whole family and serving with lentils, spinach and tomatoes, topped with garlic, balsamic vinegar and mustard.
  • Fruit & veg can be cheap – canned and frozen are just as good
    • At most main supermarkets you can get 1kg frozen mixed veg for just over £1.
    • Tinned/frozen still have a lot more nutrition than no veg at all!
    • They last longer so when the fresh stuff gets used up at the start of the week you can still get your 5 a day on Friday
What does 5-a-day look like?

It’s not easy getting fruit & especially veg into kids’ diets. Here are some kid-friendly ideas of what a day could look like. 

Breakfast

30g plain flaked or hooped cereal with milk and berries (can be microwaved from frozen!)

Breaktime

Apple

Packed lunch

Tuna, low fat mayonnaise and sweetcorn sandwich with a pinch of black pepper or paprika for taste.Cucumber and carrot stickswith 2 tbsp low fat hummus. Packet of plain or salted popcorn

Afternoon snack:

Fruit medley such as orange segments & chopped grapes

Dinner:

‘Hidden’ veg spag bol made with red pepper, mushrooms, carrot and courgette.

Need something sweet now and again?

Break up some low sugar biscuits, pack them into the base of a small cup or dish.

Mash a banana into plain yogurt and layer on top of the biscuit.

Serve with chopped kiwi or another fruit of choice for a low sugar cheesecake!

 

For plenty of other ideas, check out Change4Life: https://www.nhs.uk/change4life/recipes

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/why-5-a-day/

 

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