In my last post I focused on the importance of getting “five plus” vegetables and fruit per day. It’s ideal to eat two fruit and three plus vegetables, and to have a variety across the week beyond the five. A variety of colours gives you a mix of nutrients. But even if you’re eating the same five basics every day it’s a lot better than having a muffin!
Make a shopping list of the vegetables and fruit you enjoy, dividing them into quick-perishing and slow-perishing. Stock up on slow-perishing and rotate the quick-perishing. For super-slow perishing convenience stock up on frozen and canned goods, but check the sugar content. Go cautiously with dried fruit which can be very high in sugar.
When shopping for vegetables and fruits shop for convenience – cherry tomatoes, bagged baby carrots, chopped celery, apple slices and salads. The expense is offset by the fact that you probably won’t buy all in every shop as these tend to be fast-perishing.
Plan ahead for meals and snacks particularly work lunches. Try cooking extra vegetables with evening meals and use them as a basis for upcoming lunches, meals and snacks. Choose vegetables and fruit from all colours of the rainbow as each color provides a different range of nutrients. Fritters, curries, stirfrys, mince, pasta sauces, lasagna, moussakas and wraps all provide great options for upping the vegetable intake. The National Heart Foundation provides a variety of produce-packed recipes. If you’re watching your weight it’s ideal to have your fruit and starchy vegetables prior to 4pm. www.heartfoundation.org.nz/wellbeing/healthy-recipes
Many people choose to buy organic vegetables and fruit to optimize their nutrients and minimize their exposure to pesticides. Some types of produce, known as the “Dirty Dozen” are ideally bought organic due to their higher risk of contamination (celery, capsicum, spinach, lettuce, cucumber, potatoes, apples, peaches, strawberries, nectarines, grapes, blueberries). Others tend to have less pesticide residue on them (the “Clean Fifteen”) and are safer to buy conventionally (onions, sweetcorn, avocado, cabbage, peas, asparagus, eggplant, kumara, mushrooms, pineapple, mangoes, kiwifruit, melon, grapefruit, watermelon).
Ultimately, all fresh produce provides a variety of health benefits regardless of sugar/ starch content and organic or non-organic status.
Any improvement you’re able to make in the quantity, quality and variety of vegetables and fruit you eat will greatly benefit your health and vitality.