The protective benefits of veg and fruit are amplified the more of them you eat. Some advocate ’10 as the new 5′ in terms of recommended daily portions. Aim to ‘eat a rainbow’ every day as the more varied the colours of your diet, the more diverse the plant nutrient boosters you’re getting. Load up on your greens, as they are particularly protective.
A portion is an 80g serving of fresh veg or fruit. Aim for four portions of veg to just one portion of fruit.
Not just salads and soups
Increasing your consumption of veg and fruit doesn’t have to be all about salads and soups, brilliant though they are. Soups are an excellent way to get plenty of veg as you can get a lot of portions of vegetables into one pot!
Swap other foods for veg
You can replace pasta by spiralising courgette or sweet potato; use aubergine and pumpkin slices instead of pasta sheets in lasagne; make cauliflower rice; freeze bananas and blend them with berries to make ‘ice cream’; shred lettuce or Chinese cabbage to replace rice noodles in Asian dishes; use lentils instead of mince in bolognaise sauce as one serving per day of ‘beans’ can count as a veg; add a slice of lemon or orange to your herbal tea; make vegetable crudités for dipping.
Smoothies
Home-made green smoothies are great. Avoid shop-bought juices and bottled smoothies have a high sugar content. Make your own using greens, whole fruit, and preferably coconut or filtered water to blend. Add a pinch of cinnamon for its blood sugar normalising properties. Experiment and enjoy!
Eating more veg and fruit will not only improve your chances of a long and healthy life, it will also lift your mood, improve your waistline and your skin. Buying organic produce maximises nutrient content and reduces toxins but if you can’t have organic, don’t let it put you off eating veg and fruit!
By Naturopath Gemma Hurditch for CNM
For more information on how you can train to become a natural health practitioner, attend one of our free open events at a college near you.
Share this
Blog/Article content reflects the author's research and diverse opinions, not necessarily CNM's views. Items may not be regularly updated, so represent the best available understanding at the time of publication.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.