5-a-day: Easy ways to get more fruit and veg in your diet

Getting enough fruit and veg is more difficult than it initially sounds, especially for those on the go. So here are some easy top tips to cram more veggies into your diet.

Stuff your smoothie

Smoothies are particularly good vehicles for leafy greens, especially if you find these essential vegetables tricky to include in other meals.You won’t notice a handful of spinach, kale or collard greens when you disguise them with a banana, apple or pear. Try adding in half a lime, some mint or coconut water, to add more sweetness.

Keeping your smoothie’s vegetable based is key. Try one portion of fruit per smoothie, and don’t forget to add a source of protein such as almond milk, nut butter, or protein powder – this will help with blood sugar balance, preventing unwanted spikes and energy crashes. 

Get fancy with a frittata  

Eggs are a brilliant way to start the day, especially when combined with a side of spinach or tomatoes, and an excellent way to eat a quick, protein and vegetable-rich breakfast. Try adding spinach, courgette, broccoli, peppers or tomatoes to a frittata. 

Hands up for hummus 

Who doesn’t love a carrot baton laden with hummus? Try blending some extra vegetables into your dip such as broccoli, spinach, kale, beetroot or even cauliflower!  

Creative crisps

Replace crisps with some homemade crispy goodies. Finely slice some courgette and scatter with parmesan and bake until crispy for a delicious snack or side. We also love baked kale leaves with cinnamon and chickpeas roasted in the oven with paprika! 

Magic mince

Mince is an excellent place to hide vegetables! Try roasting aubergine, and mixing the scooped-out flesh (which should be soft) into a bolognese sauce. It will simply disappear! 

You can also add finely chopped mushrooms, lentils or grated courgette to cottage pie or bolognese, making the mince go even further.  

Righteous rice

A great vegetable swap for rice, especially if you are looking for something low carb, is cauliflower. Once cut up into small-ish florets, pulse in a food processor until it has the consistency of rice. This can either be fried or steamed.  

Lastly...

What about pudding? Yes, you can still get veggies in your dessert dish. Making chocolate mousse with avocado may sound slightly extreme, but it really does give it a lovely creamy texture, and the taste of the avocado goes really well with the chocolate. Check out our recipe below! 

Dairy-free chocolate mousse