Are you eating enough fruit and veg?

Here are 5 ways to increase your intake.

Consuming enough fruit and vegetables is important to health and wellbeing. Fruits and vegetables provide us with fibre and a variety of vitamins and minerals that support our digestive health, immune system, mental health and every other system in the body! Every substance in the body requires the right ingredients and the right environment to be made. This includes our hormones, blood cells, neurotransmitters, our skin and the lining of our organs. Because fruits and vegetables are the building blocks for many substances in the body, they increasing wellbeing and prevent against disease and illness.

With only 3% of young Australians eating enough fruits and vegetables, I think we can all try to increase our fruit and vegetable intake.

Here are 5 hot tips:

1. Have it in the house

You won’t eat if you haven’t got it! So make sure you include fruit and vegetable in your grocery shopping. Or plants some veggies the garden so they’re super close to the kitchen! You don’t need to have a lot of space to grow vegetables at home, a few pots will do the trick. Some can even grow in water on the kitchen bench.

2. Choose foods you enjoy

There’s no fun forcing yourself to eat foods you don’t like. So if you’re trying to increase your fruit and vegetable intake, start with foods you enjoy! Think about where you’re going to be eating and if it needs to be easily transportable, and how you’re going to transport it if you’re taking it to work/school.

3. Visit the farmers market

Fresh fruit and vegetables always taste best, and you can’t get much fresher than at the farmers market! The produce inviting It’s often cheaper than the supermarket too, so that’s a bonus. If you can’t make it to the market, there are many delivery services that will deliver a box of seasonal produce to your door. My favourite Adelaide services include Ikigai Coffee Shop and Conscious Eatery, and Girl Friday Organics.

4. Make it easy

Make it easy for yourself to consume fruit and vegetables by keeping it somewhere you can see it, so you remember it’s there. Also make it easy to eat – a plate of veggie sticks can be a great snack to graze on, cut up fruit can be easier than eating something whole. Do what works for you!

5. Take a risk

Try something new every now and then! Try a new food, a new combination, a different way of cooking or preparing it. Eating food that is in season has many health benefits (along with being financially beneficial), and you might find something you really like.