FRUIT & VEG…ARE YOU GETTING ENOUGH?

The benefits of consuming fruits and vegetables are well known, but are we eating enough of them? Population data reflects that 1 in 5 Australian adults are reaching the recommended servings of fruit a day but only 1 in 10 are consuming the recommended amounts of vegetables.

Fruits and vegetables should be a normal component of our daily diet. They contain vitamins, minerals, antioxidants as well as fibre, which is important for satiety, keeping us regular and for blood sugar control. Aim for a variety colours of fruits and vegetables as they contain different health benefits. The 2013 Australian Dietary Guidelines suggest that people between 19 to 70 years and over are recommended to have 2 serves of fruit per day and between 5-6 serves of vegetables per day depending on age and gender. These guidelines differ for children, pregnant and breastfeeding females.

Reaching the recommendation can be easier then you may think. Here are some practical tips on how you can increase your vegetable intake by spreading them throughout the day: Think beyond meat and 3 veg at dinner! Other ways to increase your vegetable intake include:

Breakfast

  • Start early; add vegetables to savoury breakfasts e.g. spinach, tomato and mushrooms to poached eggs or an omelette

  • Add a handful of spinach or kale to a smoothie

Lunch

  • Use up vegetables you have by making vegetable fritters or salmon rissoles with grated vegetables

  • Make extra salad/vegetables at dinner to pack for lunch the next day

Snack Smart

  • Cut up vegetable sticks and have them ready to snack on with hummus or beetroot dip Top wholegrain crackers with cottage cheese and sliced tomato

  • Add grated vegetables to healthy savoury muffins

Dinner

  • Serve dinner with salad or cooked vegetables

  • Make a batch of soup in the winter months

  • Add extra vegetables to pasta dishes and stir fry’s

  • Sneak extra vegetables and lentils into spaghetti bolognaise or lasagne

Make Friends With Fruit

Breakfast

  • Top cereal with a serve of fruit e.g. add a banana to your oats

  • Grate apple into bircher muesli

  • Stew fruit in the winter months to add to porridge, healthy baking or a lowfat oat-based fruit crumble

Snack Smart

  • Add fruit to your yoghurt

  • Have a fruit bowl in your office space instead of a biscuit jar

  • Add mixed berries (fresh or frozen) to your smoothie

  • Add natural nut butter to sliced apple or banana Have fruit on its own as a grab and go snack

Tips

Cost effective ways to include fruits and vegetables include:

  • Adding frozen vegetables, beans and legumes to dishes can help meals go further and increase the fibre content to help keep us fuller for longer

  • Eat seasonal fruit and vegetables

  • Use frozen fruit in smoothies and cooking

What Is A Serve?

Fruit 1 serve =

  • 1 medium banana, orange, apple or pear

  • 2 small kiwi fruits, plums or apricots

  • 1 cup of diced or canned fruit (no added sugar)

Only occasionally…

  • ½ cup of no added sugar fruit juice

  • 30g of dried fruit e.g. 1.5 tablespoons of sultanas

Vegetables 1 serve =

  • ½ cup of; cooked vegetables (e.g. spinach, carrots or broccoli), canned or dried beans, lentils, peas (no added salt) or sweet corn

  • 1 cup of raw salad vegetables or leafy greens

  • 1 medium tomato

  • ½ medium potato or alternative starchy vegetables (e.g. sweet potato or pumpkin)

By: Chloe Larcombe, Dietitian