Tips to boost your fruit and vege intake

"Peas are not the only green things we should eat, mate"

Most of us know that we should be eating five servings a day of fruit and vegetables yet
so few of us actually do it. To help you we've put together 15 tips to ensure you boost your fruit and vege intake.

Fresh, unsweetened fruit juice One of your five portions of fruit and veg can be in liquid form and it's good to get your first portion in nice and early.

But remember: a glass or more of 100 per cent fruit juice counts as only one portion a day, no matter how much of it you drink.

Chop fruit on to your cereal It doesn't have to be the ubiquitous banana. Try pineapple, strawberries or grated apple as alternatives. Remember, you can use canned fruit, too (but avoid those in syrup).

Remember frozen fruit It's just as nutritious as the fresh stuff, and is a real convenience food. Try leaving out a bowlful of frozen mixed berries before you go to bed, and then adding yoghurt and a handful of mixed nuts to it in the morning for a tasty breakfast.
Make a smoothie Add fresh or defrosted soft fruit to yoghurt, add a little milk or soya milk, and blend.

Mash a ripe banana This makes a delicious snack on toast. If you also add peanut butter you'll be getting a great balance of protein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamins and minerals.

Dried fruit This makes a great on-the-move snack, as it's easy to carry and packed with fibre. Apricots, raisins, prunes and figs are all tasty options. But be aware that dried fruit can only count as one of your five a day, no matter how much of it you eat.

Take a piece of fruit in your bag If travelling in the car, keep fruit in the glovebox or another shaded place.

Get raw power Snack on raw veges such carrot, celery and cucumber. Dip them in salsa and you pack an even greater antioxidant punch.

Pile up the veges Put extra salad (tomatoes, onion, lettuce) into rolls and sandwiches that you have ordered at a takeaway to eat at your workplace.

Soup Try making or buying vegetable-based soups, such as carrot, tomato or watercress. You can even add extra canned or frozen veg, which will cook while the soup is heating through.

Dinner Ensure you have two types of veges with dinner. Remember: you don't necessarily have to prepare and cook two types - you could go for no-fuss options such as canned tomatoes, sweetcorn or frozen veg instead.

Go for the convenient options These include ready-chopped veg you can throw in the steamer, ready-chopped mushrooms pre-prepared stir-fry mixes, and ready-washed salad leaves.

Have your finger on the pulse Beans and other vegetables - such as kidney beans, lentils and chickpeas - count towards your total, but only as one portion a day, no matter how much you eat. Add canned mixed beans to a soup, stew or salad.

Aim for variety Go for as great a variety of colours as you can. So, if you've had lots of green salad, opt for yellow vegetables, carrots and tomatoes. Doing this ensures you get the broadest range of disease-fighting phytochemicals.

Try something new every week There are bound to be tons of fruit and veg varieties that you've never tasted - so vary what you buy and eat, rather than get into a rut of buying the same five things every time you go food shopping. Globe artichoke, anyone?

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