Health

Getting your family to eat more vegetables

Getting your family to eat more vegetables

Getting your family to eat enough fruit and vegetables can be a challenge. Here are some tips to ensure everyone in your household gets their recommended intake of two servings of fruit and five servings of vegetables every day.

  • Swap the bacon and eggs at your weekend breakfast for baked beans or grilled mushrooms and tomato on wholegrain toast.

  • Include vegetables, such as baby spinach, in pasta sauces and risottos. Stir through at the end of cooking for a little extra colour and nutrition.

  • Make salads the main meal instead of a side dish. Try adding baby spinach, rocket, lightly steamed broccoli, red capsicum, tomato and roasted sweet potato. Toss through a can of rinsed and drained beans (such as butterbeans or chickpeas) for extra protein.

  • Pack a fruit salad for morning tea. Try to include as many different colours as possible for variation and maximum nutrients.

  • Have a salad or some salad vegetables on your sandwich for lunch.

  • Try to have at least four different colours of vegetables, grains and legumes on your plate for lunch and dinner.

  • A stir-fry with lots of vegetables is another great way of including a variety of colours at your evening meal.

  • Kids love frozen oranges, bananas, grapes and strawberries for an icy summer treat.

  • Grate or dice onion, carrot, zucchini, red capsicum and corn into a savoury muffin or pikelet mixture.

  • Have vegetable sticks such as carrot and celery on hand for a healthy snack. Vegetable sticks dipped in hummus or tomato salsa are delicious and very filling.

  • Enjoy a fruit-based dessert rather than cakes and puddings.

  • Dried fruit also makes an easy on-the-go snack. Just add a handful into some plastic wrap and pop into your bag.

This information is provided by the Sanitarium Nutrition Service.

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