Easy ways to boost your veggie intake

It's no secret eating veggies is good for us, but are you getting enough?

It's recommended that adults eat at least 5 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruit every day.¹ If you don't have enough veggies in your diet, you're not alone; only 9% of Aussies are eating the right amount.²

The good news is there are easy ways to up your veggie intake.

"Try adding a cup of vegetables to every meal you eat, breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. That's 5 cups of vitamin-rich veggie goodness every day," says Bupa Dietitian Heather Ko. "The idea is if you've filled your meals with vegetables, there's less room for anything else."

If you're not keen on the taste or texture of vegetables, there are ways around it. "I encourage experimenting with different vegetables and cooking methods," says Ko.

Roasting, baking, stir frying, grating or blending different veggies can all help with the different textures and flavour profiles. Remember, "fresh, frozen, canned or dried varieties of vegetables are all suitable and still nutrient-rich".

"The phytonutrients in fruits and vegetables are what gives them their rich colour, taste and aroma," explains Ko. "These are shown to be protective against some cancers as well as a reduction in chronic diseases like cardiovascular diseases."

• Red vegetables (tomatoes, capsicum, beetroot and radish) contain lycopene, an antioxidant which can reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
• Orange and yellow vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, squash and corn) provide beta carotene, a pre-cursor for vitamin A which is needed for healthy skin, eyes and our immune system.
• Green vegetables (spinach, rocket, broccoli, green capsicum, cabbage, Asian greens and herbs) are rich in lutein and sulforaphane, which can support arterial function and liver function.
• Purple and blue vegetables (eggplants, purple cabbage and red onion) contain resveratrol and anthocyanins, are excellent for our cognitive health and heart health, and can slow down the aging process.

If you're not used to eating a lot of vegetables, these ideas can help get you started.

These recipes are designed to be simple and flexible so you can swap ingredients or use whatever you have in the fridge or pantry.

Whisk 2 eggs in a bowl. Throw a cup of spinach and mushrooms into a frying pan, add the eggs and cook for 3 minutes. Flip and cook for a further minute. Season your omelette with herbs such as rosemary or thyme.

• 1 cup of baby spinach
• 1 cup kale, chopped
• 1/2 cup of celery
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 green apple, cored and chopped
• 1 pear, cored and chopped
• 1 frozen banana, chopped
• 2 cups water
• Mint to serve

Place all ingredients into a blender and mix until smooth.

Stir fry a cup of broccoli and green beans in a pan. Add 1/2 cup of cooked quinoa and place in a bowl. Poach an egg and add it to the quinoa bowl.

Place lettuce, sliced tomato, cucumber, beansprouts and shredded chicken or tuna in wholegrain bread or a tortilla wrap.

Place baby spinach leaves, grated carrot, corn, 1/4 of an avocado and a tablespoon of finely chopped red onion in a bowl. Add 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice and 100g of finely shredded roast beef. Add a few coriander leaves and a squeeze of lime juice.

Place the following items on your plate:

• 1 carrot, cut into sticks
• 1 cucumber, cut into sticks
• 1 boiled egg
• 6 olives
• 50g sliced chicken breast (skin off)
• 1 tbsp hummus
• 6 small wholegrain crackers.

Grate 2 potatoes, a carrot and two zucchinis into a bowl. Add 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley, and salt and pepper.

Heat a frying pan and add a tablespoon of your fritter mixture to the pan. Cook for three minutes on each side. Serve on a plate with a side salad.

Place 500g of minced beef in a large saucepan on medium heat with a diced brown onion and one tablespoon of olive oil. Sear for about 5 minutes until the meat is brown and the onion is soft.

Add a finely chopped carrot, zucchini, red capsicum and red chilli, 100g chopped mushrooms, and cook for a further 3 minutes. Add one tin of chopped tomatoes, one tin of kidney beans, one teaspoon dried oregano and a pinch of ground cinnamon. Bring the mixture to the boil.

Season well, reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Serve on brown rice.

Choose any vegetables you like (zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower and carrot are good options) and cut them into small pieces. Place them in the following layers in a large baking dish:

• Layer 1: Vegetables
• Layer 2: 500g of low-fat ricotta cheese mixed with 2 eggs and seasoned with salt and pepper
• Layer 3: Vegetables
• Layer 4: 500g chopped tomatoes
• Layer 5: Vegetables
• Layer 6: 250g mozzarella sprinkled on top.

Bake in a 200°C oven for about 40 minutes or until cooked through. Serve with a side salad.

Tip: This recipe is great to make on a Sunday as the leftovers will keep in the fridge. You can take individual portions to work for a hot lunch.

Slice a carrot and cucumber and serve with a tablespoon of hummus.

Cut a head of broccoli into small florets and place on a baking tray. Drizzle with a little olive oil and salt and pepper. Bake in the oven at 180°C for 20 minutes.

Grab a bunch of kale and rip the leaves into bite-sized pieces. Drizzle the kale with olive oil and sprinkle with your favourite herb or spice. Bake at 180°C until the edges brown but are not burnt (10 to 15 minutes).