The perfect combination: 2 portions of fruit, 3 portions of vegetables a day

The perfect combination: 2 portions of fruit, 3 portions of vegetables a day

Even though fruits and vegetables are incredibly beautiful and versatile, so there are countless ways to get your daily dose, we find it a challenge to take as many servings of fresh fruits and vegetables as recommended every day. According to the World Health Organization, we should actually eat a minimum of 400 grams of fruit and vegetables per day. The Superior Health Council even talks about 250 grams of fruit and 300 grams of vegetables per day. These 'wonder foods' provide our bodies with an abundance of nutrients, strengthen the immune system and help reduce the risk of a number of diseases. We usually know this, but how do you make it happen every day?

Right mix of fruits and vegetables

Eating the right "mix" of fruits and vegetables could actually help you live longer, according to a new study. The new study, released in early March by the American Health Association and conducted by researchers at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, found that eating two servings of fruits and three servings of vegetables is associated with lower death rates. What specific fruits and vegetables you eat also matters, the study suggests. Certain choices can affect your lifespan, the researchers explain — and you have to accept that juice isn't a fruit.

2 servings of fruit and 3 servings of vegetables

It makes sense, but not always easy to put this into practice every day. What you need is a concrete and manageable goal and someone who shows you how you can convert this into daily life. How do we handle it? We try to strive for this every day: 2 servings of fruit and 3 servings of vegetables per day. What could that look like in concrete terms?

1 jar of freshly cut fruit

1 banana

1 cup fresh vegetable soup

1 cup of healthy leafy greens

1 large cup of vegetables with the hot meal

An extra word of explanation for this choice

When buying fruit, think of the rainbow and try to mix as many colors as possible into your daily serving of freshly cut fruit. Be sure to add berries and citrus fruits as they have super properties. By also eating a banana you can easily reach the recommended daily amount of 2 pieces of fruit. A banana is not only tasty to eat, you can also eat a banana easily and it is very versatile. But our advice is to eat a rainbow of different fruits (and vegetables!).

For the cup of healthy leafy vegetables per day, think of green leafy vegetables and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, arugula, ...

This can be done with these tips:

  • Stew the leafy greens in low-sodium vegetable stock.
  • It's easier to eat more volume when leafy greens are cooked, and this is a great way to add flavor to the vegetables.
  • Make leafy greens the base of your salad.
  • Make a Mediterranean salad.
  • Put leafy greens on a healthy pizza. It's a perfect magic trick to eat your veggies.

Fortunately, vegetables are versatile, so there are countless ways to add a large cup of vegetables to your daily dose. From sautéed vegetables to more creative cooking methods such as zoodles or roasted vegetables (yum). It should be possible to eat as much of this as possible with the hot meal. Our tip: try your hand at roasting vegetables. In our upcoming blog we will experiment with roasted vegetables. It brings out so much flavor, and it's super easy: you just toss them on a baking sheet and pop them in the oven.

Extra tips for more fruits and vegetables in your life

  • For breakfast, have Greek yogurt with low-sugar granola and fruits such as banana slices and blueberries.
  • Process in your scrambled eggs or omelette, chives, spring onions or grilled cherry tomatoes.
  • Replace your sandwiches with a salad.
  • Mix vegetables of different colors to make a tasty and nutritious salad.
  • Make jars with carrots, cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices and other sliced ​​vegetables for a ready-to-eat snack.
  • Hide vegetables in sauces, stews, meatballs. You can actually use vegetables in anything. We even hide our greetings in meatballs :-)
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