Easy Ways to Add More Fruits and Veggies to Your Diet

Eat more fruits and vegetables: easy changes you can make every day to be healthier

It doesn’t have to be hard or take a lot of time to eat more fruits and vegetables. Making small, regular changes to the meals you eat every day can have a big effect on your health, energy, and general well-being. Including fruits and vegetables in fun ways in all of your meals, from breakfast to dinner and snacks to party treats, makes sure your body gets the nutrients it needs while keeping meals fun. This is a simple guide to help you fit them into your daily life without too much trouble.

One cup of fruit in the morning is a great way to start your day

Starting your day with fruit is one of the easiest changes you can make. Put a medium banana (100g) or half a cup (90g) of papaya in your breakfast. To make a quick smoothie, mix together 1/2 cup of strawberries (75g), 1/2 apple (75g), and 150 ml of almond milk. You can add 1 tablespoon of chia seeds or 2 dates to make it more filling and sweet. BigBasket and Nature’s Basket are two websites that sell pre-cut fruit and smoothie ingredients that make mornings easier.

2 cups of vegetables in your lunch

You have the most time to add bulk nutrients at lunch. Add 1/2 cup of grated carrot (60g) to your roti dough or cook 1 cup of chopped spinach (90g) into your dal. Put 1/2 cup (50g) of boiled green peas in your rice or pulao. You can also make a side salad by mixing together a sliced cucumber (100g), a chopped tomato (75g), and a quarter of a beetroot (40g) with lemon and salt. Seasonal vegetables are cheap and taste great. Platforms like Reliance Smart stock bundles that help you switch up your choices every week.

Eat 1 fruit or 1/2 cup of vegetables as a snack

Instead of fried snacks, eat fruit. Add a little chaat masala to one orange (130g) or one cup of watermelon cubes (150g). You can eat 1/2 cup (75g) of sweet potato slices brushed with 1 tsp of olive oil or 1/2 cup (80g) of boiled corn mixed with lemon and herbs. Two tablespoons of raisins (30g) or five soaked dates (60g) can help you control your sweet cravings. Blinkit makes it easy to order fresh fruits, boiled corn packs, and veggies that can be cooked in an air fryer.

Dinner Light with 1.5 Cups of Mixed Veggies

Dinner should be light but satisfying. Make a soup with 1/4 bottle gourd (100g), 1 chopped tomato (80g), 1/2 onion (60g), and 1 carrot (80g). Add some water and a little bit of salt. In 1 tsp of sesame oil, stir-fry 1/2 cup of capsicum (50g), 1/2 cup of zucchini (60g), and 1/2 cup of mushrooms (60g). Add salt and pepper to taste. You can add 1/4 cup of grated lauki (40g) to the roti dough to make it more moist and add fiber. Stores like Amazon Fresh sell fresh packs every week, which makes this even easier.

Finish your day with a dessert made with fruit

Grill 1/2 banana (50g) or 1 slice of pineapple (100g) with 1 tsp honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon for dessert. For a sorbet with no sugar, mix 1/2 cup of mango pulp (100g) with 50 ml of coconut milk and freeze it. Put 1 teaspoon of peanut butter in each of 3 dates (40g) and freeze them as a chocolate substitute. These little changes make desserts fun without using processed sugar. Look on Amazon for things like fruit cutters or non-stick grill pans to make prep easier.

Plan for 7 fruits and 5 vegetables each week

Get at least 5 different kinds of vegetables and 7 kinds of fruit every week. For instance, you could buy 6 bananas, 3 apples, 2 pomegranates, 1 watermelon, 4 oranges, 5 kiwis, and 1 bunch of grapes. Get 250g of carrots, 500g of spinach, 200g of beetroot, 250g of bell peppers, and 300g of cauliflower for the vegetables. Clean them, cut them up, and put them in glass jars or zip-lock bags. Flipkart Grocery has multi-pack options and ready-to-cook kits that will last you all week.

Tiffin meals with one fruit and one vegetable

When you pack meals, make sure to include one small fruit, like an apple or guava, and one serving of veggie curry or sabzi (150g). You can hide 1/4 cup of finely grated vegetables like radish, beetroot, or lauki in parathas. Salads for lunch with 1/2 cup of cucumber (50g) and 2 tablespoons of sprouts (30g) are cool and full of protein. For something different, serve banana chips or roasted carrots on the side. FirstCry and other online stores have great bento-style lunch boxes for kids and adults that help you creatively divide up meals.

Add 2 fruit or vegetable-based foods to make parties healthy

Instead of chips or soda, serve fruit punch made by blending 1/2 watermelon (400g) and 4 oranges (500g) with ice. Use 1 cup of corn (150g) and 1/2 cup of chopped spinach (50g) with breadcrumbs and light spices to make corn-spinach bites. For a protein-rich snack, grill cubes of paneer (150g) and slices of bell pepper on skewers. For dessert, give them fruit skewers with bananas, grapes, kiwis, and pineapples drizzled with dark chocolate (30g). These party foods look good and don’t make you feel bad.

Related: The Science of Baking: Tips for Perfect Breads and Pastries

Every day, follow the Half-Plate Rule

Filling half of your plate with fruits or vegetables at every meal is a good rule to follow. You could have one banana (100g) and toast for breakfast. A good lunch is 1.5 cups (150g) of mixed veggie curry and 1/2 cup (50g) of raw salad. A bowl of soup made with 250 grams of different vegetables keeps things balanced for dinner. Your body gets used to this pattern over time, and it becomes second nature to eat fruits and vegetables at every meal.

Add one new thing to your family’s routine every week

Every week, get the family to try a new fruit or vegetable. It could be zucchini, broccoli, dragon fruit, or avocado. Tell your kids to help you wash or peel fruits, or let each one pick a “veggie of the day” to eat. Make small traditions, like “fruit o’clock” in the evening or soup night on Sunday. To make this a fun and long-lasting habit, search Amazon for kids’ activity kits or recipe books.

FAQs

How many servings of fruits and vegetables should I eat daily?

Aim for at least 5 servings of vegetables and 2-3 servings of fruits daily. Following the Half-Plate Rule can make it easier.

Can smoothies replace whole fruits?

Smoothies are great, but whole fruits provide more fiber. Use smoothies to complement, not replace, whole fruits.

How can I make kids eat more vegetables?

Hide vegetables in parathas, soups, or snacks. Let them pick a “veggie of the day” and involve them in meal prep.

Disclaimer: This blog’s content is only meant to be informative and should not be taken as medical or dietary advice from a professional. If you have health problems or dietary restrictions, you should always talk to a qualified healthcare provider or nutritionist before making big changes to your diet.