Having the intention of eating more fruit and veg is one thing… how to actually do this is another! But no worries… in today’s post, I give you plenty of tips on how to put those fabulously healthy goodies on your menu!

But before giving you tips on HOW to increase your intake of fruit and veg, let me first tell you WHY you should do this!

Benefits of eating fruit and veg

Fruit and vegetables are healthy and nutritious and provide plenty of benefits. Below you can read just a few of these benefits:

• Most vegetables are low in fat and calories and don’t contain cholesterol.

• Fruit and veg contain lots of vitamins. 

• Eating fruit and veg as part of an overall healthy diet, will help to reduce the risk of some chronic diseases.

• Eating plenty of fruit and veg will increase your intake of fibers, which is important for proper bowel function.

• Eating certain vegetables, will help you maintain a healthy blood pressure (e.g. sweet potatoes, white potatoes, tomato products, soy beans, spinach,…).

• Putting fruit and veg on the menu, may reduce the risk for heart disease (as part of an overall healthy diet).

How to increase your intake of fruit and veg

• Every week I sit down for a minute or two to make our week menu. Ever since we work with a week menu, we eat more vegetables as it makes me more aware of what we will be eating the next couple of days. An added bonus is that it’s so much easier to make my my shopping list!

• When you make your lunch, make sure to add a bowl of raw vegetables (grated carrots, slices of tomato and cucumber, some salad,…). Don’t have time to whip this up? You can buy them ready-made in most supermarkets. Or just buy some cherry tomatoes, radishes and mini sweet peppers.

• Make a big pot of fresh soup during the weekend and freeze for the coming week. You could also take some soup to work. Soup is a perfect snack, it’s super healthy and it fills your stomach big time!

• Do you like desserts? Why not make a fresh fruit salad? You could add a bit of whipped cream if you like!

• When you make a fruit salad, make a larger portion of it. Chances are that if your housemates see you eating a colourful fruit salad, they will join you!

• When you make your diner, why not make more than one vegetable dish? OK, it will take you a bit more time, but you will probably eat more vegetables than you otherwise would… And left-overs are good for tomorrow’s lunch!

• You could add lots of vegetables in your sauce: tomatoes, mushrooms, carrots,… they add heaps of flavours! It’s also the perfect way to let your children eat more vegetables…

• When you eat potatoes with vegetables, you could make a double portion and make a puree for the next day.

• When you make meatballs, you could add grated zucchini and carrots and pieces of onion. For an ab fab tomato sauce fry some onion, garlic, sweet peppers, carrots and selery. Add two tins of chopped tomatoes. Let it simmer until all the veggies are cooked and blend it until you’ve got a smooth tomato/veggie sauce.

• When you take yoghurt as as snack, you could add some chopped fruit to make it extra good.

  

• We tend to eat the same things over and over again which might get a bit boring. So why not buy fruit and vegetabales that you haven’t eaten before?

• I used to take 4 slices of bread (with cheese, jam,…) in my lunchbox. I now take 3, but I eat a piece of fruit after my lunch.

• When you’re entertaining some guests, give the good example and make several dishes of vegetables and add plenty of fruit in your dessert!

Do you have any more tips? Feel free to share them in the comments below! I bet this list could be endless…

Love, Kathleen

Here you could read some tips on how to drink more water!