How do I get more fruit and veggies in?

[Geordiebabe85]

Hi
At the mo my diet is fairly crap. I'm just not a fan of fruit and veg. I like apples, strawberries, pineapple, potatoes, carrots (if I have to), peas, peppers and onions.
I need to improve my diet but I'm just not sure how to go about it. I get so daunted by the fruit and veg aisle cos I feel like I don't know how to prepare and cook it.
Can anyone recommend any amazing ways to cook veggies to make them more appealing or quick wins to help me get more in?

Frozen is your friend. If you buy fresh and don’t eat them and they go mouldy and you throw them away, you feel really frustrated with yourself. Start small with frozen berries or chopped mango - put 80g in porridge in the morning and you’ve got a portion. You can do it straight from frozen, put them in with the oats and cold milk and 3 mins in the microwave. Top with golden syrup and there’s your breakfast done with one portion.

I take satsumas and apples to work as I find I will mindlessly snack on them without really noticing, so that’s another portion.

Lunch: you could have a few cherry tomatoes on the side of a sandwich if you take a packed lunch. Or if you’re organised at weekends you could cook a big pan of soup and take a portion each day.

Dinner: sneak lentils into things. Replace a bit of mince with a cup of red lentils in chilli, bolognaise etc. You’ll notice them, but not hugely and they’re really nutritious. Don’t forget that tinned tomatoes count too so stews are naturally rich in veg if you’re using onions, tinned tomatoes etc.

Edemame beans are a great snack - I buy them frozen in their pods. A quick blast in the microwave, a bit of salt and they’re identical to the Wagamama ones.

Sugarsnap peas are also lovely raw, with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt.

Hugh F-W’s “Veg Every Day” is a fab book and has loads of ideas for making veg more exciting.

I start the day with banana milkshake. Add peanut butter and / or yoghurt and whatever veg you like- e.g spinach or carrot. Sounds gross but I only taste the banana and it helps jumpstart my f and v intake.

Expand your plant based foods beyond fruit and veg, and look to include more nuts, seeds, wholegrains, beans and pulses. I second all of the advice from @Tygertiger

Do you like soup?

Buy yourself a book on soups. You can make lots of veg into soups with cheese or other flavours.

I aim for 30 different fruit & veg a week.

For breakfast I have wholemeal toast with home made damson or greengage jam (look for WI sales). That's wheat & damsons. Or I make porridge and stir apples and sultanas through it - oats, apple, sultanas.

I make veggie soup which can include celery, onion, tomatoes, garlic, potatoes, peppers, sweetcorn.

For supper - peppers stuffed with sausagemeat and baked, are good. Or buy pizza bases and top with tomatoes, chopped onion and spinach with mozarella.

Risottoes are good too. Easy to include mushrooms, french beans or brocolli, wth chicken.

Remember fruit juice counts as one a day.

Great tips, thanks!
I like Weetabix but hadn't thought of adding fruit like you suggest to porridge. And the lentil is a great idea.

Thanks. So things like wholegrain pasta instead of the normal one?
And beans and pulses, is that like lentils?

Thanks. The sausage peppers sound nice. Do you mix anything with the sausage meat?

If I have time, chopped parsley and garlic. Then bake in the oven for 45 mins. The peppers go sweet and sticky and garlicky 😊

How about growing your own? You might find that a way of getting interested in healthy living.