Get your 5 a day – Following a Mediterranean Diet

Recently I was asked if I would return to live in the UK.  While this is something that isn´t on my agenda right now. I thought about the things that I would miss if I ever did return to British life. Getting my 5 a day is a huge part of my daily lifestyle here. With so many oranges, tomatoes and other local produce to enjoy. It would be more difficult to spend a day without fruit and veg.

I don´t consciously try to eat more fresh foods. The sheer amount of local seasonal produce and the prices of them makes it very easy to eat well. At the moment Cherries, figs and asparagus are all in season here in Andalusia. This abundance would certainly be something that I would miss if I moved from Spain to another place in Northern Europe.   

5 a day Lifestyle  

Boosting Fibre and Vitamin intake isn´t difficult if you focus on it. I like to choose my favourite fruits such as strawberries, cherries or mangoes. All of these are packed with Vitamin A and C. They also make tasty snacks or desserts.

Did you know that Five a day is equivalent to 400 gr of fruit and vegetables daily.

If you live in the UK there are also ways to get a good variety of fruit and vegetables on a budget too. The market stall is actually the best bet for price freshness and quality. Knowing which fruit and vegetables are in season will help too. The cost is lower and quality is better when something is in season. Try to stick to seasonality when planning meals. Eat out of season makes it more expensive and often don´t taste their best.

It maybe worth checking the reduced section for fruit and vegetable that need using up straight away. This way you get a good price on fresh produce. You could even freeze it depending on what it is. 

Eat Better without Breaking the Bank

Here are 5 different ideas to help you hit your 5 a day target:

• Pop to your local market. Buy colourful fruit and seasonal vegetables. Plan how you will add them into your meals that week. 
• Choose a smoothie or natural fruit juice instead of a cocktail or syrup laden coffee. (Careful with the natural sugars, only have one glass)
• Instead of oven chips choose Sweet Potato wedges which have more fibre in them and keep you fuller for longer.  
• Have vitamin packed snacks to had. Bananas, apples or grapes are available all year around. There are easy to carry with and simple to pack in portion sizes.
• Can you add fruit and vegetables into every meal? Melon Blueberries or Grapefruit make good breakfast options. Broccoli, Kale and Spinach are healthy choices for a side at lunchtime or dinner.

Keeping the colours of what you eat varied will make sure you are getting a range of different vitamins, fibre and nutrients. It´s not really so complicated to eat healthy after all. It takes a little bit of planning, some kitchen prep time and a bit of imagination.