Science is constantly evolving, and the fact that fruits and vegetables are important to our diet is no longer a secret. From reducing the risk of heart disease to fighting certain signs of aging, having a whole rainbow on your plate is important to help achieve a balanced diet.

Although 5 fruits and vegetables a day is the phrase that comes to mind when thinking about how many servings of fruits and vegetables we should be aiming for each day, it should theoretically be around 7 a day.

Whether you’re aiming for 5, 7, or even 10 servings a day, we’ve got practical tips and advice that’s easy to implement around the opportunity the planet is giving us.

Breakfast
Start your day with a splash of color by drinking one serving in a 150ml glass of fruit juice.

On the side, drink more because, although the fruit juice contains natural sugars, the fruit has been mixed and releases sugars known as “fast sugars”.

Fast sugars affect our teeth more than sugars still contained in their cell walls, like the sugar in a kiwi.

There are several ways to incorporate fruits or vegetables into your breakfast without eating them alone. Here are some examples :

• Grate a carrot into your protein bowlcake to make a carrotcake. You can even do it with an apple or a zucchini.
• Focus your breakfast around vegetables rather than croissants, sausages or bacon. Aim for a minimum of 80g of tomatoes, and taking the time to prep your vegetables rather than skipping breakfast is a step towards better fruit and veg consumption.
• Swap your weekend hash browns for a sweet potato recipe. Not only will they add color to your plate, but a serving of sweet potato will count towards your 5 a day quota.
• Add fruits or vegetables to your cereal, whether dried, frozen or fresh.

Lunch
If sandwiching is your thing, then why not roast and chop some veggies to add to your peri-peri chicken?

If you’re more into salad to hit your macro goals, be sure to put in 80g of each vegetable rather than your usual 20g here and 40g there.

You can also add a small smoothie to your lunch if you haven’t had a juice or smoothie in the morning.

Having dinner
Have fun with the variety of colors on your plate by steaming or defrosting a serving or two of vegetables to serve with your mac&cheese. If you are not a fan of taste or texture, you can add tomato sauce. Not only will people be impressed with the hidden veggies, but you’ll also get an extra serving of veggies without thinking about it.

Instead of serving the Sunday evening roast, why not make vegetables the main base of the meal? Roasted cauliflower is very trendy and for good reason!

But if this cruciferous vegetable isn’t your thing, try roasting butternut squash in the fall or zucchini in the summer for a lighter dish.

If you’re not ready to take the focus off your protein source, why not stuff a vegetable with your meat of choice? Stuffed roasted peppers are a great choice.

Snacks
While we’re talking about ways to increase your fruit and veg intake, remember that legumes count toward your 5-a-day quota!

This means that hummus can be part of it. To make this even better, you can dip roasted red pepper or carrots to get more micronutrients and enhance your snack.

Of course, there is also the fruit or vegetable in its ordinary form, such as raw vegetables or a piece of fruit. If you don’t feel like eating the foods alone, try adding nut butter or nuts to make your snack more exciting.

Dessert
Fruits are often thought of as sweet foods, but sometimes they just aren’t enough for our taste buds, especially when the craving for cake comes to mind.

The next time you’re craving lemon cake, heat a pear with a square of chocolate or fill an apple with dried fruit and nuts and bake it for a delicious dessert that counts as a full serving of fruit. The sweetness of the fruit will intensify and you will eat a baked product.

Although one slice doesn’t necessarily provide you with an entire serving of fruits or vegetables, cakes and pastries that contain fruits and vegetables do help increase your intake.

Banana bread, zucchini cake, pineapple cake all provide a small serving of fruit or vegetables for help increase your consumption. Just watch your portions as these foods are also high in sugar.