Posted By: Jane McClenaghan We know by now that the minimum intake of fruit and vegetables we need each day is five, so why do we find it so hard to get the basic requirements into our diet?
Here in Northern Ireland, we lag behind the rest of the UK and Ireland, with 82% of adults and 96% of teenagers not reaching the 5 a day target.
Come on NI, we can do better than that!
Plant foods like fruit and vegetables form the foundation of any healthy diet. If you struggle to get your 5 a day, here are a few ideas that you might find useful:
• Start as you mean to go on. Chop a banana onto your cereal, add some berries to yoghurt or slice a tomato and have on toast for breakfast.
• Soups or salads at lunchtime are a great way to increase your intake of vegetables.
• There are lots of creative new ways to eat veggies – try spiralised courgette, cauliflower rice, or sweet potato wedges for something different with dinner.
• Frozen vegetables are just as nutritious as the fresh stuff, so keep your freezer stoked with the basics like frozen peas, spinach and broad beans.
• Carrot sticks with houmous is a tasty snack and an ideal way to up your veggie intake.
