26 Jan It’s Healthy Weight Week

Do you ever find that you want to eat healthier, but you just aren’t sure how? Or do you look at fruit and veg and think something else will taste better so you eat that instead?

Here are some tips how to increase your fruit and veg intake without sacrificing your taste buds!

What is a serve of fruit?

• One medium sized fruit such as apple, peach, banana, mango, pear
• Two pieces of the smaller fruits such as apricots, passionfruit, kiwifruit
• A cup of fresh fruit such as strawberry or diced melon or pineapple
• One and a half tablespoons of dried fruit or 4 dried apricots
• Half a cup of fruit juice

Ideas for eating more fruit

• Slice fresh fruit over breakfast cereal or porridge
• Make a delicious fruit smoothie with fresh fruit, some low fat milk and some low fat yoghurt
• Add fruit to cakes and muffins
• Make a delicious fruit based dessert such as a fruit crumble with apple and rhubarb, bake an apple and serve with low fat custard or poach seasonal fruit such as pears or stone fruit
• Keep some fresh fruit at work or school for a quick and easy snack. Perhaps you could ask your workplace to supply fruit as well as biscuits for coffee breaks
• Make a delicious fresh fruit platter for breakfast, a snack or for dessert
• Freeze fresh fruit by itself or mixed with yoghurt for a refreshing summer snack
• Dice fresh fruit and keep in a container in the fridge so it is a quick convenient snack – this works well with fresh melon
• Thread fresh fruit onto skewers and serve with yoghurt for a delicious colourful snack

What is a serve of vegetables?

• Half a cup of cooked vegetables
• A cup of fresh salad
• A medium potato

Ideas for eating more vegetables

• Serve chopped fresh vegetables with salsa or low fat dip for a healthy snack
• Add vegetables to breakfast by adding mushrooms, asparagus and tomatoes to omelettes or having these vegetables braised on toast
• Ask for extra salad in a sandwich or roll for lunch or take a big fresh salad in a container to work to have with lunch
• Grow a vegetable garden if you have the space. This is great exercise and the whole family can enjoy the fresh vegetables straight from the garden
• Grate vegetables into pasta sauces or homemade hamburger patties
• Add extra vegetables to casseroles, soups and stir-fry
• Lightly brush vegetable slices with olive oil and cook on the barbeque. This works great for eggplant and zucchini.
• Add vegetables such as carrot and zucchini to muffins and cakes
• Thread vegetable pieces onto skewers with lean meat, chicken or tofu and grill or BBQ

Creative Fruit and Veg for Kids

Encourage children to enjoy a variety of fruits and vegetables by thinking outside the square.

By being a little creative with your preparation, you will be surprised how easy it is to encourage your children to enjoy fruits and vegetables.

• Make a delicious fruit smoothie with fresh fruit, some milk and yoghurt.
• Make a delicious fresh fruit platter for breakfast, a snack or for dessert.
• Freeze fresh fruit by itself or mixed with yoghurt for a refreshing summer snack.
• Dice fresh fruit and keep in a container in the fridge so it is a quick convenient snack, this works well with fresh melon.
• Thread fresh fruit onto skewers and serve with yoghurt for a delicious and colourful snack.
• Serve chopped fresh vegetables with salsa or low fat dip for a healthy snack.
• Grow a vegetable garden if you have the space. This is great exercise and the whole family can enjoy the fresh vegetables straight from the garden.
• Grate vegetables into pasta sauces or homemade hamburger patties.
• Add vegetables such as carrot and zucchini to muffins and cakes.
• Thread vegetable pieces onto skewers with lean meat, chicken or tofu and grill or BBQ.