How To Get Your 10-A-Day (it’s not as hard as you think!)

According to a recent study, we should be aiming for 10 portions of fruit and veg per day to increase life expectancy. At first glance this may seem impossible to do, which is why we called on our resident nutritionist Lily Soutter to show us how she eats the rainbow and reaps the rewards…

Breakfast:

Green Smoothie (2 of 10-a-day)

PRESS London Greenhouse 1 (Kale, spinach, celery, romaine, cucumber, apple, lemon), frozen avocado, frozen banana, 1 scoop of morning ritual 

I love the flavour of this smoothie; the avocado gives it a super creamy texture and blends perfectly with the Greenhouse 1. An easy way to drink my greens before 9am. Morning ritual provides vegan protein and fibre rich chia and flax which are both essential for balancing blood sugar and keeping hunger at bay.

All in all, smoothies are a fast track way of smugly getting in 2 of my 10 a day before 9am! AND it’s hard to get bored of smoothies as there are so many different flavours and varieties to try.

Snack:

Apple dipped in Almond Butter (1 of 10-a-day)

Apples are high in fibre and antioxidants, both of which are essential for optimal health. I love dipping apple into almond butter, not only because it tastes amazing but also for the blood sugar balancing effects that comes from the protein and healthy fats.

Lunch:

Mackerel, Kale and Pea salad with homemade dressing and PRESS Easy Green (3 of 10-a-day)

As a general rule of thumb, we should fill at east half of our plate with fresh veg at each meal. With the right dressing, you can make any salad taste scrumptious.

I tend to avoid shop bought dressings as they are often packed full of added sugar and unhealthy fat. Homemade fresh dressings can take minutes to whiz up and can make any dish taste amazing, my favourites include cucumber and basil or beetroot and horseradish.

I love green vegetable juices, as they are low in sugar but also rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. In just 500ml you can juice a mammoth 1 kilo of veg!

Snack:

Beetroot and Barlotti bean dip with cucumber sticks (1 of 10-a-day)

I prefer opting for fresh, nutrient dense snacks rather than the sugar and salt ladened products that we see on many of our supermarket shelves. This dip can be whizzed up within seconds, and is packed full of protein, fibre and healthy fats - the prefect combination for preventing that afternoon energy slump.

By replacing crackers with vegetable sticks, I can sneakily fit in another portion of veg into my day.

Dinner:

Lentil, Chickpea, Sweet Potato and Tomato Curry topped with coriander (3 of 10-a-day)

By incorporating one to two meat free days into my week, helps me to phase in more veg. Meat can be replaced with legumes, which are a source of plant based protein and can contribute to our 10 day.

Warming vegetable curries stews and soups are not only cheap to make, but are also a flavoursome way to add extra veg into my diet.

References

1. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/02/170223102404.htm