Fruit and vegetables form an important part of our dietary requirements, even when we are dieting to lose kilos. Filled with vitamins, minerals and fibre, and low in calories and fat, fruit and vegetables help us to stay healthy and have a well-balanced diet.

2 servings of fruit and 2 servings of vegetables – that is the amount of fruit and vegetables a person needs to consume daily to stay well nourished. The following tips help you to reach your goal of having enough fruit and vegetables in your diet.

1) Plan ahead and buy enough
Plan ahead to know the amount of fruit and vegetables you need to buy before you set off to do your grocery shopping.

Examples of 1 serving of fruit:
- 1 medium banana
- 10 grapes
- 250 ml of fruit juice (pure)
- 1 small apple, pear or orange

Examples of 1 serving of vegetables:
- 100 g of cooked vegatebles

Remember: fruits and vegetables are perishable. Therefore, ensure that you do not buy more than you need as they cannot be stored for too long.

2) Act now
The following list provide some suggestions to up the intake of your fruit and vegetables:
- Take fruits (fresh or dried) as your snacks
- Include fresh fruit in your salad
- Include fresh fruit juice in your meals
- Provide a variety of vegetable dishes
- Try different cooking methods for vegetables to create interest

3) Be creative
Be creative and use the following ways to help inject more fruit and vegetables into your diet:
- Use vegetable such as carrot, broccoli to make soups
- Add vegetables into stews and curries
- Add fruit to desserts such as ice creams
- Create fruit mik shakes or smoothies
- Add fruit in your dishes. They add a wonderful flavour to your dishes.