How To Feed Your Family More Fruit And Veg

By Jane A
Photo by Eiliv Aceron on Unsplash

Most of us have good intentions when it comes to eating a healthy diet, but the realitiies of family life can mean that everyone is too busy to ensure this happens. Make things easier for everybody by using the following tips to get more fruit and vegetables into your everyday foods.

Five Vegetable Soup

If you’re making a soup, up the vegetable content so that it really packs a nutritious punch.

Ingredients:

  • 2 onions
  • 1 leek
  • 3 cups of fresh spinach
  • 2 cups of chopped brocolli
  • 2 zucchini
  • 2 cups of chickpeas
  • 3 tablespoons oil
  • 1 vegetable stock cube
  • 1 cup of milk
  • Water

Instructions:

  1. Finely slice the onion and leek and fry them over a medium heat in the oil.
  2. After 10 minutes, add the sliced broccoli and zucchini. Cook for a further 5 minutes.
  3. Add the chickpeas, two tablespoons of water, and the stock cube. Cook for a further 5 minutes.
  4. Add the spinach, let it wilt and then remove the soup from the heat. Add the milk and stir it through.
  5. You can leave the soup as it is or blend it smooth. Serve immediately.

Fruit Filled Pancakes

Make weekend pancakes that bit healthier, with this delicious fruit filling.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of plain flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup of milk
  • 2 apples
  • 1 cup of mixed berries
  • 1 tablespoon of sugar

Instructions:

  1. First, make the pancake batter. Sift the flour into a bowl, make a well in the center and crack in the eggs. Whisk through, and then slowly add the milk. Continue whisking until you have a smooth batter. Cover the bowl and set aside for now.
  2. To make the fruit filling, slice the apples. Heat them in a pan over a medium heat, after 5 minutes add the berries and the sugar. Cook through for another 10 minutes, until the fruit is falling apart.
  3. Heat some oil in a pan and fry each pancake on both sides, top with the filling.

Pork and Vegetable Burgers

Sneak some veggies into these burgers, without anyone knowing!

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup of minced pork
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 tablespoons of flour
  • 2 tablespoons of oil
  • 1 cup of black beans
  • 2 zucchinis
  • Chopped parsley
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions:

  1. In a large mixing bowl, stir the flour and oil through the pork mince. Crack in the eggs and whisk them through.
  2. Slice the zucchini and add this and the black beans to the bowl. Mix through well.
  3. Add the chopped parsley and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix through well.
  4. Grill or fry the burgers until cooked through, serve immediately.