How to eat more vegetables and fruits

The recommendation to eat 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day (5-a-day) comes from the World Health Organization (WHO), which advises eating at least 400g of fruit and vegetables a day to lower the risk of health problems like heart disease, stroke and some cancers.

This 400g target is equivalent to 5 portions of fruit and veg in total – not 5 portions of each. A standard portion of fresh fruit and vegetables is 80g.

Fruit and vegetables are the basis of many affordable, tasty meals and snacks.

In reality, getting your 5-a-day is easier than you think, as our tips show.

1. Love your lentils

Beans and lentils and other pulses count towards your 5-a-day.

• Get our recipes for lentil stew and homemade baked beans.

2. Jazz up rice 

Adding vegetables such as peas or sweetcorn to your rice is a great way to increase how many vegetable you eat.

You can put frozen vegetables into the saucepan halfway through the rice’s cooking time or simply stir them through the rice for a couple of minutes after it has cooked. You can also do this with couscous.

Tinned vegetables are also a good addition – just make sure to choose those tinned in water, without added salt or sugar.

3. Fruity breakfasts

It’s easy to get 2 portions of different fruits with your porridge or muesli. Fruit adds natural sweetness and is a great source of vitamin C and fibre.

Add a combination of raisins, dried apricots, sliced banana, a handful of blueberries, strawberries or raspberries.

For a warming fruity porridge, stew apples and blackberries and add them to your porridge with a sprinkle of cinnamon.

• Read more about the health benefits of porridge.

4. Love your fruit bowl

Having a well-stocked fruit bowl adds colour to your home and may encourage you to snack on fruit rather than grabbing biscuits or cake.

Fruit is naturally low in calories and also contains fibre, which helps you feel fuller for longer.

5. Healthier snacks

Swap your mid-morning biscuits for dried fruit. Raisins, sultanas, prunes and apricots are easy, cheap, portable snacks for people on the go. About a tablespoon counts as a portion.

There is a great variety available at most supermarkets, often including exotic fruits like dried pineapple and mango.

Be careful to choose fruits without added sugar (unsweetened) by checking the ingredients list, and avoid those coated in chocolate, yoghurt or honey.

• Get ideas to create your own trail-mix with dried fruit.

6. Vegetable crisps and fruit rings

Shop‑bought vegetable crisps do not count towards your 5-a-day because they’re usually fried or baked in oil and often high in salt.

However, homemade vegetable crisps made without added fat or salt can count, as they’re simply baked vegetables.

Make your own vegetable crisps from beetroot, sweet potato and parsnip, without added fat or salt.

Slice the vegetables thinly, place on a lined tray and place in the oven at 175°C/gas mark 4 for 20 minutes or until dry. Fruit takes longer to bake.

• Try our simple recipes for kale crisps and cinnamon apple rings.

7. Sandwich fillings

Making your own lunch to take into work or putting together your own sandwich at lunchtime allows you to pack in extra vegetables.

Sliced cucumber, tomatoes, peppers and lettuce complement many sandwich fillings.

To get to your recommended portion of 80g, try adding a side of more vegetables such as avocado or spread such as hummus, which pairs well with most vegetables and helps boost flavour, fibre and add to your 5-a-day.

Try the wholemeal versions of pitta bread, wraps and bagels too, and try to sample new vegetables from time to time so you never get bored.

• Why not try our colourful recipe for beetroot hummus?

8. Pie toppings

Standard potatoes do not count as one of your 5-a-day. As an alternative pie topping, or to combine with potato, use mashed cauliflower, swede, sweet potato, butternut squash or carrot.

These vegetables mash very smoothly, which means you do not need added butter.

• Get our delicious fish pie with carrot and cauliflower mash recipe.

9. In a stew

Traditionally seen as a winter dish, stew can be eaten all year round and is a fantastic way to pack in extra vegetables.

Root vegetables (like carrots, butternut squash, parsnips and sweet potato) hold their shape well and add bulk.

A tin of tomatoes or some lentils introduces yet another portion. Experiment with summer flavours, such as fresh herbs like basil, or use seasonal vegetables.

While all the vegetable additions help you towards your 5-a-day, remember that each portion must be 80g, so a stew for 4 needs to contain 320g of fruit or veg to provide 1 portion per serving.

• Get our recipe for Tuscan bean and vegetable stew and get tips to make healthy stews.

10. Tinned tomatoes

For meals like spaghetti bolognese, chilli, curry or pasta bakes, use tinned tomatoes (or tomato passata) instead of ready-made sauces.

It will help you towards your 5-a-day and can also help reduce your salt and sugar intake.

If you want to make your tinned-tomato sauce creamier, add a little 0% fat Greek yogurt or a low-fat dairy alternative. 

• Get our healthy recipes for spaghetti bolognese and chilli con carne.

11. Toast toppings

Mashed avocado or banana make tasty toppings for a slice of toast. Try them as alternatives to your usual lunch or as a substantial snack.

Bananas are a great source of energy and nutrients, and avocadoes are rich in monounsaturated fats, which can help to maintain healthy cholesterol levels.

Avocados also contain fibre and a range of essential vitamins.

• Try our 5 healthy toast toppings.

12. Salad days

Salads are not just for summer; they’re a healthy year-round accompaniment to any dish.

A hearty salad for cooler months can be made using vegetables such as carrot, butternut squash and sweet potato, roasted in a small amount of olive oil. 

Pulses (such as tinned kidney beans, chickpeas or mixed beans) are great all year round. 

• Get ideas for simple healthy salad dressings and try our simple roasted veg and chickpea salad.

13. A cracking omelette

An omelette is a great way to boost your vegetable count.

Onion, tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, sweetcorn, peas and spinach all work very well when added to the egg mixture.

Or you could make a twist on a Spanish omelette, using sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes.

14. Vegetable soup

There are countless flavours of soup to try, and soups are very simple to make.

Start by chopping up a variety of vegetables (onions, carrots, butternut squash, radish, swede, parsnips, sweet potato, mushrooms, sweetcorn and peppers all work well) and sautéing them with a little vegetable oil. 

Then add homemade or low-salt stock and allow your vegetables to simmer until tender. Either leave soup chunky (like a stew) or blend it to a smooth texture.

• Get 11 healthy soup recipes you can freeze.

15. Sweet potato

Sweet potatoes are a good source of the antioxidant beta-carotene.

To make sweet potato wedges, cut it into equal-sized chunks, brush with a little vegetable oil and bake in the oven for around 20 minutes.

For extra flavour, add a sprinkling of paprika, cumin or chilli before baking.

• Get our recipe for herb-breaded fish with sweet potato wedges.

17. Spice it up

Instead of just adding meat, onion and peppers to your chilli or fajita mix (as suggested in many standard recipes), experiment with extra vegetables.

Consider mushrooms, sweetcorn and broccoli, or add some tinned kidney beans, as these also count towards your 5-a-day.

You can even reduce the amount of meat you would usually use and add extra beans instead, as they are a great source of protein and are cheaper than meat.

• Get our recipe for beef and bean burritos.

18. Go beyond roast potatoes

When making your Sunday dinner, why not roast a selection of vegetables alongside your usual potatoes?

Parsnips, butternut squash, swede, carrots, peppers and mushrooms are all delicious roasted. Be sparing when adding oil. Simply brushing oil on vegetables with a pastry brush is enough.

Remember to cook your usual selection of steamed or lightly boiled vegetables along with this. A roast dinner is a great occasion to get in some extra greens too.

19. Simple stir fry

Pack out stir fries with vegetables. Add chopped onion, garlic, peppers and mushrooms when browning your chicken or lean beef, and then broccoli, carrots, sweetcorn, peas, curly kale, spinach and beansprouts.

If you do not want to prepare vegetables, you can add frozen mixed vegetables instead.

• Get our recipe for Thai turkey stir-fry.

20. Plan ahead

Planning your snacks will help you resist the temptation of fatty or sugary foods between meals.

If you're going to work or just out and about for the day, prepare plastic boxes with carrot, pepper and cucumber sticks, reduced-fat hummus, unsalted nuts, sultanas and dried apple rings to keep you going.

These healthy options all help you reach your 5-a-day.

• Discover more healthy snack ideas.

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