The 5 > Tips
Tips
- 5 portions per day: how to get there
- Get smart about fruit and vegetables!
- Low calorie density: a winning choice
- Make room for kids!
- Are you a produce expert?
- Jazz up your fruit and vegetables
- Fruit and vegetables: don’t leave home without them!
- Frozen foods: your allies!
- A healthy variety
- Remember this at every meal!
- Go diversity, go!
- Pep up your breakfast!
- Savouring better health
- After the 5
- For other good ideas
5 portions per day: how to get there
We say it often: eating at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables per day does not have to be complicated! Just think about eating them at each meal – 1 portion at breakfast, 2 at lunch and 2 at dinner – and voila! You’re already at 5 portions!
Want to achieve the 7 or 8 portions recommended for adults by Canada’s Food Guide? All you need to do is add 2 or 3 portions as snacks!
Not getting 5 every day? Maybe it’s because you don’t think of it, or you lack preparation time. Here are some simple tricks to help you overcome these obstacles.
- Keep fruit and vegetables within reach – when we don’t see them, we don’t think of eating them.
- Save time by choosing vegetables that are prewashed and prepared, like baby carrots and lettuce mixes. You can also stock up on frozen fruit and vegetables; they’re just as nutritious as fresh!
- Eat fruit and vegetables when you’re the most hungry: enjoy a salad before attacking the main dish (instead of after), crunch on raw sliced vegetables while waiting for dinner to be served, eat fruit as a snack instead of as dessert, etc. Test it out – you’ll be amazed at how much more of them you’ll be able to eat!
Get smart about fruit and vegetables!
It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3! With several tricks up your sleeve and a good dose of flair, you’ll learn to make the best of the fruit and vegetables on the market! On your own, as a couple or as a family: freeze, prepare, cook – and vary them! See your plate with new eyes and let your taste buds be surprised… and want more!
Fruit and vegetables too expensive?
For starters, keep an eye out for specials and… take advantage of them! You can stock up on regular frozen fruit and vegetables, but did you know that many fresh fruits and vegetables can be frozen? For the best results, freeze them as fresh as possible. Follow these three simple steps:
- Blanche them first (vegetables only) by immersing them in boiling water for several minutes.
- Freeze them on a cookie sheet, in big pieces – or whole if they’re small – to avoid them sticking to each other and getting squished.
- Once frozen, transfer them into a hermetically sealed bag or container. They will keep for one year in the freezer.
Avoid loss!
Various tricks will help you optimize your purchases – for example, always wait until the last minute to prepare your leafy vegetables, and keep your raw sliced veggies in a hermetically sealed container, without water. They’ll stay looking good and tasting good, and they’ll remain vitamin-rich!
Cook differently, for a change!
Certain Quebec fruits and vegetables are available year-round, and their prices are among the lowest. So it’s economical to eat them… You’ve had enough of boiled turnip, you say? Just use your imagination!
You might even discover how versatile apples can really be: add them to your broccoli or cauliflower soups and you’ll have a hit; sliced, cubed or shredded, they add crunch to your sandwiches and salads; sautéed with a little lemon and nutmeg, they team up marvellously with meat or poultry; and, of course, in a crumble, you’ll win everyone over!
As for vegetables, try these recipes (available in French) as well as those at www.IGA.net (available in English). They’ll make your family’s taste buds very happy.
- Mini Vegetable Casseroles (replace certain vegetables with those that are on sale)
- Vegetable Chili
- Sunny Butternut Squash Soup
- Soup as a Meal
And there you have it! Follow this great start and be imaginative – you’ll treat yourself and you’ll be sure to save money.
Low calorie density: a winning choice
Foods that fill you up while containing fewer calories: does that sound too good to be true? Well, that’s exactly what foods that are low in calorie density do. They’re high in water, generally rich in fibre, with low sugar and fat content, and they contain few calories relative to their volume. With these foods, you can make dishes that are more nutritious and with fewer calories, while still feeling like you’ve eaten enough. Fruit, vegetables and whole-grain products are perfect examples. So get to know them, and put them on the menu!
The secret of calorie density
Foods that are low in calorie density are effective partly because the brain signals that you’ve eaten enough when your stomach is full and not when a certain number of calories have been consumed. By eating low-calorie-density foods that take up more room in your stomach, you’re satisfied without feeling deprived.
Do the math
- 30 florets of cauliflower contain the same number of calories as a half portion of fries. But because cauliflower is low in calorie density, you’ll feel full long before eating the 30th floret – which cannot be said for the fries!
- A plate of pasta with tomato sauce and vegetables is much more filling than one single Italian sausage, even though they both contain about the same number of calories.
Ready to give it a try? Go right ahead and fill your plate with fruit and vegetables!
Make room for kids!
All kids love getting their hands dirty. By teaching them to cook, you can help them develop their tastes, as well as numerous skills, in a natural and fun way. And on top of that, it’s precious time spent together!
For even more fun, why not do one of the 5/30 Missions? Mission No. 1 – Operation Mango Tango encourages you to get into the habit of putting at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables on your daily menu… with just a little planning. It’s a great opportunity to do a family activity!
Are you a produce expert?
Do the same fruits and vegetables always find their way into your grocery cart each week? Considering the incredible variety of fruits and vegetables we have access to these days, why not take advantage of the Challenge to be adventurous and discover new flavours?
Do the 5/30 Mission No. 3 – FSI: Food Scene Investigation, a game where the family divides to have more fun! Parents against children, boys against girls: it doesn’t matter; entertainment will be on the menu, guaranteed! And you will finally discover who the produce experts of the family are.
Jazz up your fruit and vegetables
Sometimes all it takes to make fruit and vegetables irresistible is one ingredient or a new way to prepare them. Here are some ideas.
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SAME OLD VERSION |
JAZZED UP VERSION |
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Mashed potatoes |
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Steamed vegetables |
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Lettuce tomato salad |
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Meat lasagna |
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Apples as dessert |
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Fruit salad |
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Fruit and vegetables: don’t leave home without them!
In the car or subway, at work or on the go, fruit and vegetables are great for calming the munchies. By bringing them from home you’re sure they’re fresh, to your liking and cheaper than at the cafeteria or corner store. Here are some must haves:
- Individual portions of canned fruit, fruit sauce or dried fruit.
- Carrot or celery sticks, cauliflower florets, cucumber or red and green pepper slices
- Small format juices: vegetable or pure fruit
- Fruits that travel well and are easy to eat (apples, clementines, bananas, plums, grapes, etc.).
Frozen foods: your allies!
Practical, nutritious and often economical, frozen fruit and vegetables are precious allies in achieving the 5-goal.
Frozen vegetable mixes are easily added to dishes. For example:
- regular mixed vegetables with rice to make a colourful plate
- a spaghetti mix in a tomato sauce to add taste or in a soup to add vitamins
- a Mexican style mix in chili or tacos to add a bit of crunch
- an Asian style mix in a preparation of tofu cubes and soy sauce to cook up a quick sauté.
As for frozen fruit, the variety on the market never ceases to expand. Apart from strawberries, raspberries and blueberries, we now find mango, pineapple and other diverse mixes. Use frozen fruits to make a crumble, a fruit salad, a smoothie, a garnish for yoghurt, etc. Children even love to crunch them while still frozen… and they’re right, it’s delicious!
A healthy variety
The more we vary the fruit and vegetables in our food, the more we increase the range of protective substances against cancer and other illnesses in our body. Even better, is the fact that variety means our plates are filled with diverse delights!
More colour please!
Many of the substances that make fruit and vegetables so healthy also give them their colour. To take full advantage of these gifts from Mother Nature, it’s best to aim for menus that are full of colour. Each day, choose fruit and vegetables from each of the 5 colour groups: red, yellow/orange, blue/purple, green, white/brown.
Be adventurous!
If the same fruit and vegetables always find their way into your shopping cart, maybe it’s time to be adventurous.
- Try new varieties of apples, pears, tomatoes, cabbage, lettuce…
- Reintroduce the often forgotten: parsnip, sweet potato, zucchini, brussel sprouts.
- Let yourself be tempted by less familiar fruit and vegetables: litchi, mango, bok choy, celery root (celeriac).
- Dare to use new ways of cooking. For example, cook vegetables in the oven on a pan or in parchment paper (en papillote). It’s great even for fruit!
- Discover new varieties of familiar fruit and vegetables (yellow zucchini, brocoflower, red pears, etc.).
- Vary your menu by using seasonal produce. Spring asparagus, June strawberries, summer corn, back-to-school tomatoes, fall apples… Delicious!
Remember this at every meal!
How do you eat at least 5 portions of fruits and vegetables in one day? It’s easy. Just eat 1 vegetable portion and 1 fruit portion at each meal. To find out what a portion is, see the leaflet designed by the Québec Produce Marketing Association. You’ll see that from the quantities indicated, it’s not so hard to reach Objective 5. And if you need more ideas to get fruits and vegetables on the menu, you can find inspiration in the fruit and vegetable department at your supermarket.
Do you eat out often? Don’t forget your fruits and vegetables! Don’t hesitate to order something that may not be on the menu, like a tomato juice or fruit juice, vegetable soup, a side salad (dressing on the side!), or fresh fruit.
Go diversity, go!
According to Statistics Canada, potatoes represent one half of all vegetables consumed by Canadians. Isn't it time to try something new? If you put something new in your plate, you could discover a plethora of pleasures amongst the fruits and vegetables. Remember the old saying: Try it, you'll like it!
- Try new fruits and vegetables regularly such as mangoes, rapini (also known as broccoli raab), starfruit (carambola), and squash. IGA has a number of very interesting suggestions.
- Vary your choice of foods from one meal to the next, from one day to the next: for example: Monday – salmon and broccoli; Tuesday – chicken and vegetables; Wednesday – mushroom omlette; and so on.
- Try vegetarian dishes more often.
- Make a trip around the world in your dinner plate. Ethnic menus are loaded with health ideas: Greek salads, couscous, Asian vegetables (Check out IGA's Asian Flavours)…
Pep up your breakfast!
We’ve all heard the slogan, “Breakfast without orange juice is like a day without sunshine.” To add even more pep to your day, have your juice with other fruits and vegetables. In fact, to give you the fuel you need, your breakfast should meet at least 25% of your daily nutritional requirements and include foods from at least 3 of the 4 food groups. Breakfast is therefore the perfect time to have at least one of the five minimum recommended daily portions of fruit or vegetables. Here are a few ideas:
- The Classic: a bowl of cereal with milk and sliced strawberries or bananas
- The Quickie: a peach milkshake with almonds
- The Takeout: a tortilla with peanut butter rolled around a banana or apple slices.
- The Gourmet: a chopped vegetable omelette with a whole wheat English muffin.
Savouring better health
Experts estimate that it takes 6 weeks to develop a new habit. So you’ve made it through the first step! Congratulations! If you reached your Objective 5, you will see that it gets easier and easier to put into practice. Especially with springtime fast approaching and fresh local produce on its way to fill the shelves: asparagus, strawberries, lettuce, zucchini, corn, tomatoes, cantaloupes… It’s all so tempting!
In the meantime, if you want to take your program one step further, why not increase your daily portions of fruit and vegetables or look into other aspects of your diet?
After the 5
Specialists estimate that it takes an average of 6 weeks to integrate a new habit into one’s life.
If you haven’t quite succeeded in achieving the 5 every day, don’t be discouraged! The important thing is to gradually make changes that are in step with your own reality. You can take advantage of the resources on the 530HealthChallenge.ca site all year round.
If you achieved Goal 5, you’re past the first step! Bravo! It’ll now be easier and easier to put it into practice. Especially with the approaching nice weather and with the local products that will take over the produce aisles: asparagus, fiddleheads, spinach, strawberries, rhubarb… it’ll be hard to resist!
Aim higher!
Think about increasing the number of your daily portions of fruit and vegetables: Canada’s Food Guide suggests that adults eat between 7 and 10 portions per day.
For lots of colourful and vitamin-rich ideas, check out the Fruit and vegetables… in portions guide provided by the Quebec Produce Marketing Association.
For other good ideas
For other good ideas on how to increase your fruit and vegetable intake, consult the 5/30 Health Challenge articles at iga.net.
Brighten up your holiday dining!
Cooking healthy... without compromising on flavour!
Fruits and vegetables on the barbecue
