Step 1. Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables

Michael Pollan (famous food author) said it well “eat food, not too much, mostly plants”.  Try thinking of fruit and vegetables as an essential part of meals – no meal is complete without one or the other.  Fruit also makes a tasty, convenient, portable snack; or sweet treat after a meal.

A simple way of knowing you’re getting enough vegetables is to make about half your lunch and dinner non-starchy vegetables.   They are full of goodness and help fill you up with few calories.   

About one-quarter of your plate should be starchy foods.  This includes the starchy vegetables: potato, kumara, parsnip, sweetcorn, cassava, tapioca, manioc, breadfruit, and green banana.  All other veges are non-starchy.

Finding it hard to make vegetables a bit more interesting?  Here are some ideas that might help you get started:

Broccoli: cut broccoli into small florets and add lemon juice and lemon zest; sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds; or make a broccoli salad

Cabbage: stir fry with lime juice, baby sweetcorn, and coriander leaves; or spice up your standard coleslaw with red capsicum and corn kernels

Corn: barbeque corn on the cob until lightly chargrilled

Pumpkin: sprinkle with cumin or nutmeg and roast; roast or boil then add reduced-salt chicken stock and blend to make pumpkin soup; or cook and mix with wilted spinach and feta, coat with breadcrumbs and pan fry

Green beans: cook beans, then top with canned Moroccan flavoured tomatoes

Spinach: wilt and serve with sliced almonds or a sprinkle of parmesan cheese

Parsnip: make a mash with parsnip, carrot, and orange zest

Potato: mash potato and kumara together, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and edam cheese and grill; alternatively you could grate them, mould into patties and pan fry; or pop a whole spud in the microwave, cook and stuff with your favourite fillings

Tomatoes: drizzle lightly with olive oil, slow roast in the oven at a low temperature for an hour along with some garlic cloves and rosemary