DO WE REALLY NEED TO EAT 10 PORTIONS OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLES A DAY?
Be honest, when you saw the title of this blog, what was your immediate thought? When I first introduce this topic into my client calls, almost all of them look a little alarmed when I say yes, we really do need that much fruit and veg in our diet, as images of becoming a rabbit, munching exclusively on lettuce leaves and carrots start running through their minds.
Research has shown that in order to optimally support gut health, we ideally need to be eating at least 30g fibre everyday, more if possible. Fibre is found in a variety of different foods including fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, wholegrains, beans and pulses.
Following the well known recommendation of just 5 portions of fruit and veg a day makes achieving this goal of 30g rather challenging, with the majority of people in the UK regularly falling short. Aiming for 6-7 portions of veg and 2-3 portions of fruit each day will not only help you get well on your way to this 30g, but also provide an abundance of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and a variety of plant fibres too (which keep our gut bugs happy and thriving).
Fibre is also essential for keeping us fuller for longer, which helps with balancing our energy levels, blood sugar, mood, appetite and keeping cravings at bay. Whilst many marketers try to promise that certain ‘superfoods’ provide all the nutrients needed for optimum health, variety is the key. The more variety our microbiome receives, the happier our microbiome becomes!
So, how is it possible to include 6-7 portions of vegetables and 2-3 portions fruit a day? Read on for a few tips on how to make this more manageable:
We all know that fruit smoothies are delicious, but you can also add vegetables such as frozen cauliflower, spinach, kale, frozen peas, and courgette into the mix without substantially changing the taste. Here is a blog post which goes into this in more detail - How to Make a Smoothie.
While your eggs are cooking for breakfast, pop a couple of tomatoes under the grill, sauté some greens (e.g. spinach, kale, chard) or add a few forkfuls of some kimchi or sauerkraut to your plate.
Add a handful of berries and/alternative seasonal fruit onto your yoghurt in the morning.
Substitute white rice for alternative grains (e.g. buckwheat, quinoa, spelt, red rice etc) or even better, have a mix.
Substitute white potatoes for other root vegetables such as sweet potatoes, parsnips, turnips, carrots, beetroot etc.
Add an additional portion of veggies to your meals.
Try a different “guest” vegetable every week to expand your cooking repertoire.
Pack hummus and crudités, or slices of fresh fruit and nut butter as your work snacks.
Work towards ‘Eating the Rainbow’ by ensuring you have at least two different coloured vegetables to eat for lunch and dinner.
Choose fresh fruit as your dessert or part of your dessert.
Don’t throw away any lacklustre fruit or vegetables. You can make soup with the vegetables, and the fruit can be stewed into compote . Both of which can be frozen for eating later.
Do you have any tips for eating more fruit and veg? Comments are open if you’d like to share. And if you would like some more help or information about ways to optimise your diet, join me on a free introductory call to talk it through.
