Do you get your 5 a day or more?

[AbsentmindedWoman]

I find it difficult to hit this target every day tbh. Today it's easy because I'm making vegetarian chilli for dinner and will likely have two platefuls.

Other than that, today I've eaten a cheese sandwich and a bowl of olives. So if, for example, tonight's dinner was salmon and asparagus - then I wouldn't get 5 portions today.

I like all fruit and veg just struggle with quantity required to hit the daily target, plus only eat fruit a couple of times a week because I have type 1 diabetes and it frequently is very difficult to dose insulin for without causing a spike or a drop.

So - how do you manage it?

I thought that juices only counted as one because any fibre is removed, but homemade smoothies or soups that contained the whole fruit or vegetables were ok to count as more?
Anyway this thread has given me a bit of a nudge to make more of an effort, so my online shop contains extra veggies this week!

Easily done here but I'm vegan and have been for over 40 years. Some days I eat nothing but raw veg and fruit.

As a family we do eat plenty of fruit and veg. Dh is quite reluctant as he is the fussiest of everyone but will eat it if on his plate as when dc were little He knew he had to set a good example!

Generally we have-
Sliced banana or berries with cereal or Greek yoghurt for breakfast
Sandwich for lunch with lettuce in plus tomatoes, cucumber and peppers on the side and a piece of fruit
2 or 3 veg with evening meal either in the main bit if cooking stew, lasagne or curry or separately if doing meat, salmon etc

I try to include fruit and veg with every meal so for example for brunch today we had tomatoes, avocado and mushrooms with eggs and bacon with orange juice and an apple.

It is an effort some days but I do feel better for eating that way...

I tend to think fruit is not as important as vegetables anyway.... so if you’re a diabetic & sugar is an issue just swap the fruit for more veg.

Also have you ever tried frying Brussels sprouts? Till they go burnt & crispy ? Food of the gods !

Possibly the g&t suggestion isn't in the spirit of healthy eating.

Maybe not but I'm definitely doing this tonight with the raspberries in my freezer. If I put 4 raspberries per glass it'll only take 4 measures to get my portion of fruit. Result!

@ColdTattyWaitingForSummer

I thought that juices only counted as one because any fibre is removed, but homemade smoothies or soups that contained the whole fruit or vegetables were ok to count as more? Anyway this thread has given me a bit of a nudge to make more of an effort, so my online shop contains extra veggies this week!

I thought the same. I only ever make snoothwa if we have a few bits of fruit that needs using before it goes off but I make homemade soup most weeks. If it's going to be a blended soup I blend it in the pan with a stick blender so nothing is removed.

Snoothwa = smoothies btw!

@SnugglySnerd

Snoothwa = smoothies btw!

I prefer snoothwa!

Btw the figure 5 a day was chosen not because it’s a sensible or healthy number but because the gov thought if they set it at the healthy rate of at least 8 a day people couldn’t afford it and would be put of trying.
This.
I tend to graze vegetables, eg if peckish grab a couple of tomatoes/Ollie's:cucumber/celery etc. Drink a lot of V8 juice . The veg is the default part of the meal /a steamer is your friend! / then add a bit of protein to it. I have an electric steamer and cooks veg well without even having to think of it, so usually have something on it on the go.

I eat more than 5 a day because I organised my supply well, and am lucky I like almost all vegs & fruits.
I stock my fridge with easy to snack on vegetables: small tomatoes, carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower... All those are delicious raw, and are perfect for food cravings that are mostly about crunching something under your teeth. So I will visit the fridge just for that 4-5 times a day. Clean and pre-cut your broccoli and cauliflower, it will make it so easy to just graze on whenever you want to.
Vegetables roasts are easy and healthy to do, with minimal work. Just slice and mix, season, oil, and in the oven for 30-40mn. Just go with as much colors as possible in the pan: reds, yellows, greens and blacks, to get the best of all the vegs possible.

One fruit in the morning, like a banana, or a peach.

And never forget the proteins!