Achieving your 5-a-day
You are not alone if you struggle to eat enough fruit and vegetables, but there are lots of tricks for getting them into your day.
Fruits and vegetables have lots of health benefits which is why they’re so central to the UCLP©. Eating more fruit and vegetables often means you naturally cut out some of the less healthy fatty and sugary foods.
Plus they contain soluble fibres which play a role in maintaining a healthy cholesterol level, as well as filling you up.
What is my target?
Your target is to reach 5-a-day, every day, but if you are already there, evidence suggests you will get some benefit from eating even more. All forms of fruits and vegetables count including fresh, frozen, canned and dried.
All types of juices and smoothies can only be counted once because of the sugar. No more than 150ml per day.
Have a look at your diet diary. Do you think you could increase your fruit and vegetable intake?
At breakfast
- Add a tablespoon of dried fruit, a handful of berries or sliced banana to breakfast cereals or porridge
- Have a small (150ml) glass of pure fruit juice or a fruit smoothie
At lunch
- Add extra salad or grated carrot to sandwiches or wraps
- Add some raw vegetable sticks to your lunch pack
- Add fruit to yoghurt
At dinner
- Always serve your meal with salad or cooked vegetables
- Add vegetables and pulses to stews and casseroles
- Make vegetable soups from scratch using lots of vegetables and beans
- Choose a fruit-based dessert such as a baked apple, fruit salad or fruit with custard (soya or low fat dairy)
Snacks
- A handful of fresh or a spoonful of dried fruit
- Crudités with healthy dips such as hummous, guacamole, salsa or low fat yogurt/soya alternative to yogurt-based dips