Ways to Add Fruits and Vegetables to Your Diet: Plug into the Beneficial Power of Produce

When it comes to improving overall wellbeing, there is nothing better than having healthy eating habits. Many people turn to health supplements to get the vitamins, minerals and nutrients they need to function properly. Although these supplements can be beneficial, before you start taking them you need to ask yourself if you really need them. It is perfectly possible to get all the nutrients you need to maintain and improve your healthy by eating a variety of healthy foods, including fruits and vegetables.

Fruits and vegetables play an important part in healthy eating. In fact, you won’t find a better nutritional source than fruits and veggies, which are loaded with vitamins A, C and E, as well as zinc, magnesium, folic acid and phosphorous. They also have plenty of fibres to keep you feeling full without worrying about extra calories or fat.

Ideally, you should eat 2 servings of fruit and at least 5 servings of veggies each day. But even for the most health-conscious eater, getting more of these nutrients can be a challenge. So try these simple tips for adding fruit and veggies to your menu every day, tips that can also help save you time and money too.

Drink Up

The new juice bars available around the country and the possibility to buy juicers online as well as at local specialized stores, make it clear that juicing is a popular health habit. Easy and convenient, fresh juices have become a common way to get the health benefits of fruits and vegetables – especially for those who lead busy lives.

A well-made fresh juice can be a great breakfast, lunch or snack option for anyone. Because you’ll be using different fruits and vegetables together to make a glass of juice you get higher doses of micronutrients and phytochemicals. To get started, pick your favourite fruits and then add in a handful of greens for an added nutritional boost. Note that one cup of greens is the equivalent of one serving of veggies. If you don’t like the flavour of the spinach or romaine on your juice, add a banana and you won’t taste the greens.

It’s important that you understand that in order to enjoy the benefits of juicing, it needs to be fresh. Bottled juice is usually heat-treated to pasteurize it. While this kills potentially harmful bacteria, it also degrades some (not all) of the nutrients in the juice. So, you better stick to freshly prepared juice. Buying fresh juice from juice bars regularly can be expensive, the reason why you should consider investing in a juicer.

Choose to buy juicer online to find great deals on these appliances. Ideally, you’ll want to find a juicer that offers the features you want within your budget. Talking about features, Keeping things simple is the best route. If your juicer is easier to use and has only a few simple parts that need to be cleaned, you’ll feel like using it more often. Being able to keep the machine on the counter is also a must for ease of use. With that said, a sleek, upright cold press machine takes the least amount of space and is easy to assemble, use and clean. If you’re serious about juicing, masticating or cold press juicers are a better choice.

Make Soup

Aside from being super simple to make, soups are also a great way to increase your vegetable intake – especially on those cold days. You can add all kinds of vegetables (fresh or leftover) to your soup – carrots, green beans, onions, rutabagas, mushrooms, zucchini, tomatoes, etc. Cook them until they are tender and add them to a simple broth. You can also throw in some leftover cooked brow rice, quinoa or a can of beans for a healthier soup.

Use Fruit and Vegetables as Ingredients

Try completely new recipes with more fruits and vegetables. For example, if you enjoy bread, you can try these bread made with veggies recipes. You can also consider using applesauce instead of oil in your baked goods. Chop up veggies like carrots, celery and peppers and add them to your favourite chilli recipe. All these are great ways to get your fruits and vegetables without having to taste them.

Plan Ahead

Meal prep is a great way to help you to eat more vegetables and fruits during the week. Opening your refrigerator and seeing that there are colourful fruits and vegetables food containers ready to be eaten, make it a lot easier to grab some carrot sticks and snap peas to snack on.

When it comes to how to plan your meal prep session you should focus on prepping the ingredients rather than preparing full meals. This includes washing some greens for salads, washing and slicing raw veggie sticks for snacks, roasting a sheet pan of vegetables to add to your meals and cutting up fruits (like a melon) for breakfast.

When shopping, give preference for fruit and vegetables that are in season. Aside from being cheaper, they’re also generally fresher and tastier. You’ll also need to get some compartment food containers to store your prepared fruits and vegetables. Silicone compartment food containers with clear tops that allow you to easily see what’s inside are the best options.

With abilities to withstand extreme variations in temperature, silicone food containers allow to you easily transfer them from freezer to microwave. Plus, silicone is petroleum-free, dishwasher safe and odour resistant. Make sure the containers you choose are 100% airtight and leakproof. These features are vital for keeping food fresh for as long as possible, which will prove to be useful in different situations. Available in a range of sizes and shapes, you can use these containers to store a wide range of food.

While mason jars are great options for plastic-free storage, they can break. Plus, they take a lot of space and are inconvenient for taking on the go. Silicone food containers are easy to store home and on the go, making it easy for you to take your fruits and vegetables with you while on the go.