How Many Vegetables and Fruit Can I Eat?

It’s always nice to be able to recommend that people eat more of something, so here goes; eat more fruit and veg. In fact, eat lots! They’re full of good stuff to help look after the health of your heart.

Eating at least 5 serves (400g) of vegetables and fruit each day has been associated with lower rates of heart disease, cancer and obesity, and lower cholesterol and blood pressure.

Vegetables in particular have a low energy density, which helps manage body weight. Eating plenty of foods with lower energy density, like vegetables and fruit can help manage body weight; as we fill up on foods with fewer calories.

Michael Pollan (famous food author) said it well, “eat food, not too much, mostly plants”. Try thinking of fruit and vegetables as an essential part of meals – no meal is complete without one or the other. Fruit also makes a tasty, portable snack; or sweet treat after a meal.

A simple way of knowing you’re getting enough vegetables is to include, at least 2 handfuls of non-starchy vegetables as part of your main meal.They are full of goodness, have fewer calories and will help fill you up.

So have a think about how you could get some more veges and fruit into your day. Maybe you could:

• Add one more vegetable to dinner
• Add a salad vege to your sandwich e.g. tomato, lettuce, beetroot, grated carrot
• Add coleslaw to a takeaway meal so at least you’re getting your veges
• Add a piece of fruit to breakfast or lunch

Source: www.heartfoundation.org.nz/wellbeing/healthy-eating/eating-for-a-healthy-heart