How to Make Hitting Your 5-A-Day-Target A Breeze
Be honest. How many portions of fruit and vegetables do you consume on an average day? Experts recommend a minimum of five portions per day. If you’re struggling to hit the target, here are some tips to make healthy eating a breeze.

Image credit: Clear drinking glass with strawberry

Juices and smoothies
Making juices and smoothies is one of the simplest, quickest ways to boost your vitamin and mineral intake. You can rustle up tasty thirst quenchers in a matter of seconds, using ingredients you love. Making juices and smoothies at home is much cheaper than buying products from cafes and stores, and it’s often better for you, as you have control over what goes into the recipe. Some shop-bought smoothies contain a lot of added sugar. Once you’ve invested in a juicer or a blender, you can experiment with different ingredients and flavours, trying everything from a vibrant, refreshing strawberry juicer recipe to an indulgent coconut and banana smoothie. Juices and smoothies are ideal for breakfast, especially if you’re in a hurry. When you’re mixing fruits and vegetables, look for tastes and flavours that complement each other, and don’t be afraid to be bold.

Add a side
Many of us will order a side dish or two when visiting a restaurant, but at home, we tend to focus on the main meal. If you can get into the habit of adding a side of vegetables or a small salad, this will help you hit your 5-a-day target with minimal effort. You can boil, steam, grill or bake vegetables, such as broccoli, carrots, baby corn, green beans and leeks to accompany meat or fish, or chop up some lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, spring onions, radishes and peppers to create a quick and easy side salad.

Homemade soups and sauces
If you love nothing more than a hearty bowl of soup on a cold day, or you enjoy making your own sauces for pasta dishes or stews, you can pack your dishes full of vegetables. For a simple pasta sauce, for example, you can add finely chopped onions, shallots, mushrooms, peppers, celery and carrots to tomatoes to give your vitamin and mineral content a major boost.

f you want to make a more filling meal that is packed full of flavour and incorporates all of your 5-a-day, why not get creative in the kitchen and try this gumbo recipe? Gumbo makes a great alternative to soups and traditional stews and is full of warm, comforting flavours. Gumbo contains many of the same vegetable ingredients as the simple pasta sauce above; onions, peppers, tomatoes, and garlic. The combination of vegetables, seafood, and meat makes Gumbo a perfect flavoursome meal.

Using fruit for flavour
When it comes to breakfast dishes and desserts, think twice before you reach for the sugar. Often, you can use fruit to add flavour and vibrancy and increase nutritional value. Sprinkle chopped strawberries, mango slices or blueberries over a bowl of porridge for a filling, healthy breakfast or add raspberries, banana slices or peaches to a bowl of natural yoghurt for a delicious, nutritious pudding. If you have a sweet tooth, you could also add a dollop of honey. Honey contains natural sugars and raw honey is also a good source of antioxidants.

Image Credit: Raw vegetables preparation

Do you struggle to hit the 5-a-day target? If you find it tough to squeeze fruit and vegetables into your diet, hopefully, these tips and tricks will help you boost your intake in no time. From whipping up juices and smoothies to adding sides and making your own soups and sauces, there are plenty of hassle-free ways to make healthy eating easy.

Note: This is a collaborative post.