How to eat more veg?

[thrifty24]

Just this really. I always have a fairly healthy dinner but often skip breakfast or if I do it, it's toast or yoghurt. Lunch is always a toasted wrap or bagel with tuna or roast chicken / cheese / ham. So I've realised that dinner seems to be the only time I eat veg. I enjoy all veg, especially broccoli, leek, onion, peppers, but I find myself eating chicken breast or a piece of fish and not really knowing how to incorporate veg. I'd love to hear some suggestions. My goal is to start with 3 a day which is hopefully realistic!

You could have a bowl of fruit and yoghurt for breakfast. You can buy frozen fruit to save time.

If you're making the wrap yourself can you buy frozen vegetables for fajitas, shallow fry and put them in the wrap or add some bagged salad.

You can buy bagged mixed vegetables which go in the microwave and have them with your evening meal. You could also buy frozen char grilled vegetables and roast them with new potatoes.

In your tuna mix for your bagel you can add red onion, tomatoes, diced peppers.
chicken/cheese/ham -add lettuce, tomato, cucumber etc

Ive read a lot that a savoury breakfast is way better for you, what about an egg wrap or egg muffins (on the go!) make ahead and you can incorporate veggies like spinach, mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes etc

A portion is 7 cherry tomatoes or a 5cm piece of cucumber which are both so easy to snack on during the day or have with lunch.

What would you normally eat the chicken or fish with? If the answer is carbs and nothing else then just add a vegetable. Incorporate veg into your regular meals eg add cauliflower to curry or peppers and onion to fajitas.

I second fajitas. Dice the chicken and make a stir fry with veg.

Both fish and chicken work well with traybakes, where you lightly coat everything in oil, herbs and spices and chuck it in the oven for a while.

You can wrap salmon in foil with vegetables and butter/soy sauce then bake it.

I often have veg on the side of my lunch if I'm having a sandwich. Usually sliced up carrots, peppers and some cherry tomatoes. I also have a lot of dinners like stir fries, curries etc where you can put in lots of different types of veg. I often add chickpeas or another pulse instead of meat with the veg

Can't find it on bbc website for some reason but they made this great inforgraphic. It's actually well easy to eat more than 5 a day so just do bit there and there

www.expatwoman.com/ewfood/healthy-eating/here%E2%80%99s-what-one-portion-your-five-day-actually-looks

Fruit counts as well for your vitamins and fibre.

For breakfast have a small glass of orange juice and/or some fruit with your yogurt (I simmer some frozen berries with maple syrup and have that with my yogurt) or mash up some avocado on your toast.

At lunchtime have soup and bread or add veg to your sandwich. Maybe have a little pot of tinned peaches or pears as a pudding.

Any snacks have fruit and veg instead of chocolate or biscuits so e.g. an apple or some grapes with some cheese or some crudite with hummus or some dried fruit or nuts (both come in single servings in plastic bags at the supermarket so is as convenient as chocolate).

What's your aim here - do you specifically want more veg, or do you want more fibre, polyphenols, etc. in your diet? Depending on your motivation, maybe have some cherry tomatoes (yes, they're fruit, I know) with your toast. Add some mixed salad leaves to your lunch. Chop some carrot, peppers (fruit), celery, cucumber (fruit) and put them in a tub and take to work for a mid morning snack. Get some mixed nuts, add some dried fruits and seeds, and take a small portion of this with you when you're out for a snack. Add seeds and fruit to your morning yoghurt. Put mushrooms, avocado, beans on your toast. Make a veg soup and have that for lunches.

For dinners, make a chilli. Have it with brown rice, use not so much meat and loads of different beans. Use leftovers the next day on a jacket potato or jacket sweet potato, and put some of those salad leaves you've bought to go with your lunches on the side, or peas and corn (get frozen bags, microwave peas and corn together in a dish). Add dhal to your dinner repertoire. Have it with naan bread for a lunch.

For breakfast, think wider than the very narrow range of foods that are typically thought of as breakfast fodder in the west. Got some leftover dhal? Have that. Half a portion of veg soup hanging around? That can be your veg-packed breakfast.

I tend to just have it on the side of dinner. If you're having chicken and rice, I would stick any mix of diced carrots, peas, sweetcorn or pepper inside. We have a portion of broccoli alongside almost every dinner. If I was doing pasta, I tend to dice leeks in the sauce, or mix a portion of green beans in to the pasta for the last few minutes of cooking. Any curry you cook, cauliflower works well in. If you're having a burger, try peas and sweetcorn on the side.

Roasted cauliflower is nice with chicken / fish

Stir fry veg such as broccoli, peppers, corn, mushrooms are nice with sesame seeds & teriyaki, go with chicken and salmon

Side salad with your wrap or veg sticks

Just add any vegetables to your main as a side, steamed, roasted it doesn't matter if it goes with it or not

If I'm roasting veg for tea I'll keep some back to pop on toast with eggs for breakfast or omelette. Then use any other leftovers to have has a side with salad or pop on pizza.

Add peas or edamame beans to rice. Stir spinach through anything. Have a side of shredded cabbage with fish tacos.

Make a big winter coleslaw with a mayo, or oil or lime dressing. Keeps in fridge for 2 or 3 days. Stir in herbs, seeds and nuts.

Porridge is quick and stir in seeds.

Buy the little salad pots with seeds and beans.

Make bean chilli and eat with jackets and salad.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/jan/22/the-fibre-phenomenon-30-easy-ways-to-get-your-fill-of-this-life-changing-nutrient?CMP=ShareiOSAppp_Other

Wow some excellent suggestions here! @WhassatNow aim is to eat better with more variety generally so thought I'd start with working towards the daily fruit and veg recommendation. Great point on working in alternative breakfast ideas. Think I'll jot these down and put in some time for a shop / plan and maybe buy one of those compartment lunch boxes.