Fruit and Veg that is. Most of us have had it instilled in us over the years that we should be having our five a day but did you know some countries recommend seven a day, ten a day? Japan even recommend thirteen!
Unfortunately a LOT of us aren’t getting anywhere near that.
I was invited to an event recently by Tropicana and the stats were eye opening and definitely made me think.
I asked a question on social media last week about whether people thought they were getting their 5 a day. A high percentage of people admitted to difficulty in getting their little ones to eat the right amount of varied fruit and vegetables – even more admitted to ensuring their little ones had their quota but they themselves knew they weren’t actually eating enough. I can understand this – I know I worry a lot about what my children eat but some days as a busy mum I grab something quick and easy and not a lot of thought goes into what I’m eating.
Do you know what a portion size is?
We should be eating 5 x 80g of varied fruit and vegetables each day. A minimum of 400g per day.
Did you know one of your 5 a day could be achieved by simply drinking a glass of orange juice?
Five surprising ways to get your 5 A Day from Independent Nutritionist Fiona Hunter
1. Use 100% fruit juice to make jelly or salad dressings– just 150mls of 100% fruit juice will count as one of your 5 A Day. If you’re following a dairy free diet, make your own muesli and soak it in juice to give your breakfast some zing in the morning!
2. Try adding chunks of apple, mango, pineapple or slices of pear to a green salad or add dried fruits like ready-to-eat apricot or raisins to rice, pasta or couscous salad.
3. Serve roast pumpkin or celeriac instead of roast potatoes. Slice pumpkin or
butternut squash or celeriac into large chunks and place in a roasting tin, drizzle over a little olive oil. Season to taste and bake at 400C/gas mark 6 for 30- 40minutes.
4. Serve meat or fish with a spicy salsa – mix finely chopped red onion, chilli and tomato with avocado. For a fruity salsa, mix onion, chilli mango and cucumber.
5. Mix cooked pureed spinach, carrot or shredded cabbage and thinly sliced spring onion into mashed potatoes.
I’ve started to make a concerted effort to increase our intake of fruit and veggies as a family. Fruit isn’t usually a problem for us as we all enjoy it but I’m aware that we don’t always get the right amount each day and there isn’t always enough variation in what we eat!
On her way home from school we typically give Izzy a banana to munch on – she is always incredibly hungry but I’d rather not give her a chocolate bar or bag of sweets unless it’s an occasional treat.
On some days she has a Tropicana kids carton too which is a blend of orange juice and water – another one of her 5 a day. Done.
Because we eat dinner as a family around 5.30 – 6pm I give the girls a plate of veggies/fruit to munch on at about 4pm. Sometimes with a peanut butter dipping pot which they LOVE.
It tides them over until our main meal, gets extra goodness in them and also keeps them quiet for 15 minutes! Always a bonus.
When I make our meals I try to find ways to add extra fruit and vegetables into them. Like this chicken curry to which I added peaches and frozen peas as well as frozen spinach. The peaches made it slightly sweet and well frozen spinach and peas are the simplest ways to add greens to your meal.
Recipe to follow soon!
Do you want to find out more about how juice can help you achieve your 5 a day? Visit the Tropicana website for more info.
