Fruit and veg are tasty and nutritious and we should all be aiming to eat at least five servings a day.
What counts as a serving of fruit and veg?
The following is one serving of fruit or veg:
- One small bowl of cooked or tinned fruit
- Two tablespoons of cooked vegetables or salad
- One small bowl of homemade vegetable soup
- One medium sized piece of fruit
- ½ a glass of fruit juice
Ways to eat more fruit and veg
Breakfast
- Have a glass (125ml) of pure, unsweetened fruit juice
- Add chopped banana, raisins or apple to your cereal
- Mashed banana on toast makes a great breakfast
- Finish breakfast with some fruit – whatever type tickles your fancy
- Fruit smoothies: make your own by mixing fruit, a banana and yoghurt together in a blender
- Remember, no matter how many smoothies or fruit juices you have in a day, it only counts for one of the five servings of fruit and veg recommended per day. This is because you lose some of the vitamins and the fibre in juicing
Lunch
- Pizza or pasta with added vegetables (try adding corn, peppers, extra chopped tomato or having a salad on the side)
- Have a side salad (of whatever veg you like: cucumber, tomato, lettuce, peppers, celery, cucumber…) along with your lunch
- Fruit
- Choose a vegetarian option if you’re eating out: that could be a big salad, vegetarian lasagne, vegetarian burger, etc. Or you could make the same stuff at home
- Try lettuce, tomato and onion in a sandwich
Snack
- Fruit
- Try raw vegetables chopped into bite size pieces and chopped fruit with cottage cheese or yoghurt
- Try small portions of dried fruit, seeds and nuts. Check out your local shops for special offers. Remember to watch out for salty or chocolate coatings
- Hummus dip with crackers or vegetable sticks
Dinner
- Have a side salad (of whatever veg you like: cucumber, tomato, lettuce, peppers, celery, cucumbr) along with your dinner
- Add vegetables to every meal you cook: in soups, on pizzas, in casseroles and stews, along with meat or fish
- Keep lots of different veg and fruit options in your kitchen. Stock up on fresh, tinned and frozen varieties every time you go shopping
- Finish dinner off with a fruit based dessert. For example, try stewed fruit with low fat custard
Find out more about sticking to a balanced diet.
