LINDA MUNSTER

Pound for pound, vegetables and fruit contain far more nutrients than whole grains, so if you’re looking for long-lasting energy these are a very important part of your meal. 

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“Eat a rainbow”

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The different colours in your fruit and veg represent different phytochemicals (plant chemicals) and antioxidants so aim to ‘eat the rainbow’ in order to gain maximum benefit from these super healthy nutrients. 

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Which fruits & vegetables should I eat?

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Here are just some of the wonderful vegetables and fruits you need to eat every day. 

 

Choose a ‘rainbow’ of colours from the following:

 

Non-starchy vegetables: artichoke, aubergine, avocado, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, courgette, cucumber, fennel, garlic, green beans, kale, lettuce, mangetout, mushrooms, olives, pepper, radish, red onion, rocket, spinach, spring onion, sugar snaps, tomatoes, watercress

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Energising fruit: apple, apricots, blueberries, cherries, figs, grapefruit, kiwi, melon, lemons, limes, orange, papaya, peach, pear, plums, pomegranate, raspberries, strawberries

 

How much should I eat every day?

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Due to their low sugar content, vegetables provide a wealth of energy nutrients without the downside of the sugar that can cause an energy slump.  So there really is no limit on these and they should constitute around a third of your meal.

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Fruit, on the other hand, although very nutritious, does need to be limited due to its sugar content (fructose) and two portions of fruit are sufficient to keep you energised without upsetting blood sugar balance.  Avoid eating too many of the very sweet fruits such as pineapple, mango, grapes and bananas and enjoy two portions of fruit such as a punnet of blueberries or strawberries.  

 

 ‘5-a-day’ is the government’s recommendation for fruit and vegetables in the UK - but you can do better than that!

 

Why not aim for six vegetables plus two portions of fruits at the very least?