Eating plenty of fruit and veggies not only contributes to good health, but also protects against a number of diseases and helps maintain a healthy weight. Most Australians eat only half the amount of fruit and veggies recommended for good health. Adults need to eat at least 2 serves of fruit and 5 serves of veggies each day. Read on for some tips on how to get 2&5 into your day.

Fruit

Breakfast

• Add to breakfast cereal or yogurt
• Top toast with sliced bananas
• Grate apple and pear into pancake mix
• Blend soft fruit like bananas, strawberries or canned fruit with skim milk, yogurt and ice for a frothy fruit smoothie

Snacks

• Pack fresh fruit for a quick snack at any time
• Freeze bananas, grapes, strawberries and oranges for an icy snack
• Puree fruit and pour into ice-block moulds to add to drinks
• Add fresh or dried fruit to muffin and cake mixtures

Main meals

• Include dried fruit to recipes for stuffings
• Add fruit to savoury salads
• Add fruit to baked fish or chicken
• Add chopped dried fruit to couscous (eg. apricots or apple)

Desserts

• Chop fruit into bite-sized pieces and thread onto skewers for a colourful kebab
• Cut into pieces, add to a parfait glass with yogurt
• Serve fresh seasonal fruit for dessert
• Puree stewed fruit as a topping for desserts or swirl into yogurt

Vegetables

Breakfast

• Top toast with cooked mushrooms, tomatoes, capsicum or sweet corn
• Chop and add to an omelette or savoury pancake
• Heat chopped leftover vegetables and serve as a topping for toast; add an egg or reduced-fat cheese for a more substantial meal

Snacks

• Top English muffins or crumpets with diced vegetables and sprinkle with reduced-fat cheese for a quick mini pizza
• Serve carrot and celery sticks, florets of broccoli and cauliflower, and strips of capsicum with a low fat dip
• Grate or dice onion, carrot, zucchini, potato and corn into a savoury muffin or pikelet mixture
• Grate beetroot and butternut pumpkin to add colour to your salad or sandwich

Main meals

• Make meat go further by adding extra vegetables to a stir-fry or casserole
• Add vegetables in season or legumes (eg. dried beans, peas or lentils) to soups for added flavour and taste
• Add extra vegetables, dried peas, beans or lentils to recipes for: meatloaves, patties and stuffings, stews and casseroles, pies, nachos, pasta and rice dishes, pizza and pancakes
• Always serve main meals with cooked vegetables or a salad
• Use capsicum, zucchini, pumpkin, eggplant, cabbage and lettuce leaves as edible containers with savoury fillings
• For easy wedges, cut potato, sweet potato, pumpkin and parsnip into wedges, microwave until cooked; mix with a teaspoon of vegetable oil, dried mixed herbs and seasoning, and grill until crispy

More Go for 2&5™ recipes are available at www.gofor2and5.com.au