Vegetables at Every Meal

The ABS have started to release the data for the 2011-2012 Australia Health Survey. The survey covered 9,500 households and tracked physical activity levels and food intake for 0-18-year-old children. When compared to the recommendations there were some concerning results such as insufficient calcium intake amongst teenage girls.

However, across the board the most obvious easy fix for all our health (both adult and kids) is to double / triple all our vegetable intake. This step will directly reduce your probability of diabetes and chronic disease.

Every age group (both boys and girls) came nowhere near meeting the recommendation for 4-5 serves of vegetables per day. Here are some ways to boost the intake and create a habit of eating vegetables

• Parents must lead by example and eat a diet high in vegetables

• At meal times, everyone eats veggies first then protein and carbs afterward

• Remember we are not born liking foods – it takes 10-15 tries to develop a taste for something so persistence works

• Always add 3 salad vegetables to a sandwich or wrap e.G.: grated carrot, cucumber and tomato or celery

• Take kids to harris farm or supermarkets and ask them to identify vegetables and select one to try

• Add to breakfast – salad of raw veg on the side or tomato and spinach on toast

• Take to school as a snack – carrot sticks /mini cucumbers and mini tomatoes and pair with a dip such as hummus

• Aim for 3 different colours of vegetables at night with one being green.

• Keep a bag of frozen vegetables in the deep freeze always as they have the same nutritional value as fresh (sometimes better)

• Add vegetables to every meal you cooked – shaved or chopped finely or in chunks – it doesn’t matter