5 a day: How to incorporate more vegetables into your diet!

Do you ever feel like despite your best intentions, you struggle to include an adequate amount of vegetables in your diet? Don’t worry, you’re not alone! In this article, you’ll discover how effortlessly incorporating the 5 a Day rule can help you eat more vegetables and intelligently integrate fruits into your daily routine.

1. 1. 5 a day: rules simplified
   2. More vegetables, more fruits – it’s worth it
   3. 5 tips for more vegetables

5 a day: rules simplified

The 5 a Day rule isn’t a trendy diet; it’s an international health campaign that has been around for over 20 years, supported by reputable organizations like the German Society for Nutrition and the German Cancer Society. The basic rules are simple:

• 3 servings of vegetables + 2 servings of fruits per day
• 1 serving equals a handful – for example, an apple (fits in one hand) or a quantity of chopped vegetables or fruits that fits in both hands.

While incorporating fruit is often easier – whether as a snack or for breakfast – achieving the 3 servings of vegetables can be challenging. That’s why we’ll focus more on eating vegetables here.

More vegetables, more fruits – it’s worth it

Why is it so crucial to eat more vegetables and fruits? Here are five good reasons:

1. Fiber: Vegetables are an excellent source of fiber, promoting digestion and providing a feeling of fullness. If you’re aiming to lose weight, ensuring a high fiber intake is essential.
2. Secondary Plant Compounds: These natural compounds in fruits and vegetables have proven health benefits, reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases, dementia, cancer, and ultimately mortality.
3. High Water Content: Vegetables have a high water content, filling the stomach with fewer calories. This is significant for weight loss and even during gastric balloon therapy.
4. Vitamins and Minerals: Fruits and vegetables are rich in essential vitamins and minerals vital for optimal health.
   Learn more about the mineral zinc
   
5. Variety of Flavors: The world of vegetable varieties is vast, each bringing its own unique taste. This not only makes meals healthier but also more diverse and flavorful.

5 tips for more vegetables

Let’s be honest; you probably already knew that eating vegetables is healthy. But somehow, incorporating more vegetables into your diet seems challenging, right? You’re not alone. We want to share 5 tips on how to make eating more vegetables a routine in your daily life, effortlessly mastering the 5 a Day:

1. Vegetables on bread

Whether for breakfast or dinner, vegetables should not be overlooked. This can be in the form of vegetable sticks like kohlrabi, cucumber, or carrot, or by adding sliced vegetable pieces to your bread. A clever idea is also a vegetable spread. With chickpeas, cooked vegetables like pumpkin or beetroot, some oil, and your favorite spices, you can quickly create a delicious spread.

2. Salads as Starters or Snacks

Even if leafy salads may not be the best choice for gastric balloon weight loss, there are numerous other vegetable salads you can enjoy. Prepare various vegetable salads at the beginning of the week – cucumber salad, carrot salad, radish salad, bean salad, or cauliflower salad. There’s an almost endless array of recipes. Most vegetable salads stay fresh in the fridge for several days and make for a quick and healthy snack.

You want to learn more about weight loss with the gastric balloon? We’re happy to advise you:

3. Try something new

Add variety to your plate by regularly trying out new recipes and vegetable varieties. The seasonal calendar is your best guide. Whether exotic, forgotten, or unusual – there are plenty of delicious vegetables to discover. Jerusalem artichoke, parsnip, kohlrabi, broccolini, artichoke, okra, edamame, cassava – the list is endless. Experimenting is not only enjoyable but also beneficial for your health.

4. Hidden vegetables

Especially when kids are involved, visible vegetables can sometimes be a challenge. A smart solution is to hide vegetables in pureed soups and sauces. For example, you can puree carrots, zucchini, and onions in a tomato sauce for pasta without it being visually noticeable. Even in cream sauces, pureed cauliflower can be discreetly incorporated. You can also incorporate grated vegetables or puree into meatballs to eat more vegetables.

5. Vegetable noodles and more

If you enjoy pasta, there’s a creative way to incorporate more vegetables. With a spiralizer, you can make zucchini spaghetti (Zoodles), or use a peeler to create ribbon noodles from zucchini or carrots. Mix them with traditional noodles or replace them entirely. Grated cauliflower becomes vegetable rice, and for those who like to experiment, grated zucchini in muesli is an interesting option. The so-called ‘Zoats’ (Zucchini + Oats) are currently a real trend, healthy and delicious. A tip you should definitely try to cover a portion of vegetables in the morning! 😊

Sources:

https://www.dge.de/wissenschaft/fachinformationen/bedeutung-von-obst-und-gemuese-in-der-ernaehrung-des-menschen/

Wang, D. D., Li, Y., Bhupathiraju, S. N., Rosner, B. A., Sun, Q., Giovannucci, E. L., Rimm, E. B., Manson, J. E., Willett, W. C., Stampfer, M. J., & Hu, F. B. (2021). Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Mortality: Results From 2 Prospective Cohort Studies of US Men and Women and a Meta-Analysis of 26 Cohort Studies. Circulation, 143(17), 1642–1654. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.120.048996

Wallace, T. C., Bailey, R. L., Blumberg, J. B., Burton-Freeman, B., Chen, C. O., Crowe-White, K. M., Drewnowski, A., Hooshmand, S., Johnson, E., Lewis, R., Murray, R., Shapses, S. A., & Wang, D. D. (2020). Fruits, vegetables, and health: A comprehensive narrative, umbrella review of the science and recommendations for enhanced public policy to improve intake. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, 60(13), 2174–2211. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2019.1632258