Five fab ways to get your five a day

It is sometimes hard to get a balanced diet especially when it comes to eating the recommended five pieces of fruit or veg a day. Even with all the advice available, making sure you actually stick to a healthy diet can be difficult. Here are five ideas of how you can hit the five-a-day target.

Add some fruity goodness

At breakfast why not add fruit like chopped bananas or a handful of berries to your cereal or porridge? If you are not a cereal fan try fruit with yoghurt. This is a handy snack to have on the move as well, for those of you too busy for breakfast.

Secret frozen weapon

As frozen fruit and veg count towards your five a day, try to introduce them with your meals. Frozen peas, mixed veg and even berries are the perfect addition to a dish. With less than five minutes in the microwave there is no peeling or chopping to slow you down and is as easy to cook as an instant meal.

Experiment wth your favourite dishes

Make sure there is at least one piece of fruit or veg for each meal and if you can’t think of one that goes naturally with your dish, be creative. Try adding fruit and veg to meals you had not considered. Sprinkle sweet corn on your pizzas, add mixed veg to your curry and carrots and courgette to your spaghetti bolognese.

Tinned fruit

If you don’t have time to pick up any fresh fruit, grab a can of tinned fruit for your afternoon snack. It still counts towards your five a day and means it will keep longer than fresh fruit would’ve. Remember to go for the fruit in juice rather than sugary syrup though, as it is healthier!

Salad starter

Sometimes just a salad can be unappealing, so why not try having a salad as a starter then moving on to your main course? It is a great way of making sure you still get your five a day without compromising on your favourite dishes. Keep your salad interesting and tasty with grated carrot, a pinch of basil or diced almonds.

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