You can look anywhere on the internet and find conflicting information regarding how much vegetables and fruit you should be consuming in a day. Regardless of which one is accurate, the answer is we should be eating a lot. It might seem daunting to eat enough fruits and veggies but take my word for it as someone who didn't always get enough, it's not impossible!

I started chopping up raw veg everyday to eat in between meals and eventually it became part of my routine. In fact, I eat anywhere from 2 to 4 cups of raw veggies everyday depending on the type of veg I'm consuming. This, on top of the veggies and fruit I might consume with or in other meals, has put me at 6 - 9+ servingas of vegetables per day. It seems impossible but guys, I'm telling you not only is it possible, but it's actually quite easy!

Meals

Not eating meat honestly makes it easier for me to eat more veggies. When it comes to meal time, I try to follow the general rule that there is always room for one more veggi9e in whatever it is I'm making. I eat a reasonable amount of tomato based pasta dishes with several cups of fresh spinach. I like to blend cooked broccolo or cauliflower into cream sauces. Not to mention, whenever I'm eating something particularly hearty, I'll try and have a salad to go along with it. 

Don't forget that beans constitute as veggies AND a great source of protein. I add beans and chickpeas into my pasta dishes and they are the stars of dishes like soups or chilis. Quite literally, I can easily put away 2 - 3 servings of vegetables per meal.


The point I'm trying to make here is that it's totally within reach to eat anywhere from 6 - over 10 servings of veggies and fruit every day if you really make the effort. I came from someone who maybe had 3 - 4 everyday to now where I've adopted a few tricks into my routine and now I'm eating more vegetables and fruit than ever before. 

I would also like to point out I still manage to get my occasional junky treat in too! I enjoy my chip coated peanuts, nutella stuffed wafer sticks, pretzels etc. and although these things are NOT healthy, I feel ok eating them because I know how much good I've put into my body otherwise.

How many servings of fruit and veg do you guys get everyday? What are your tips for getting more into your diet?

HAPPY VEG

Ahh, the humble potato, one of the vegetable world's most recognized and well received vegetables not to mention my personal favourite right next to raw celery. Potatoes are the perfect veggie in so many ways because they can adapt to pretty much any flavour and you can utilize them in any way imaginable. Mashed, roasted, boiled, smashed, fried, baked, whipped etc., the list goes on and on. 

Unfortunately, as health continues to take priority in today's society, people are turning away from the tater in favour of it's sweeter and more antioxidant rich cousin the sweet potato. Is it true that regular old potatoes are as bad for you as they're being regarded? The short answer is no. Often times, when someone is discussing why regular potatoes aren't as good for you, they are villifying the toppings one chooses to put on the tater.

Here's a few tips for making sure your potatoes stay good for you or at the very least, aren't smothered with boatloads of extra calories!

• BAKED POTATOES - Skip the multitude of toppings. Slice it open, use a tiny bit of butter, salt, pepper, and some fresh chives or other herbs for flavour.
• FRENCH FRIES - Don't buy the bagged ones that are full of preservatives and such. Make them from scratch and bake them versus frying them. If you're still craving gravy for example, serve it on the side as opposed to pouring it all over the fries. This way, you're dipping and will likely use half the amount you would if you poured it all over them and you'll avoid the excess amounts of sodium and unnecessary fat.
• MASHED - Mashed potatoes without butter aren't mashed potatoes in my opinion. Now, think about whipping in some steamed or boiled cauliflower for a reduction on carbs and fat and a little boost of vitamins and minerals. Also, think ingredients like scallions, chives, and herbs for flavour versus cheeses, cream, gravy, and sour creams.
• KEEP THE SKIN - SO many people peel the taters but fiber and other nutrients lie in the skin so stop peeling them. The skin adds texture to mashed taters and is delicious when roasted in the oven.

​www.msn.com/en-ie/foodanddrink/foodnews/29-things-you-should-stop-spending-money-on-at-the-supermarket/ss-AADGU6B?li=BBr5PkP#image=1

I found this article this morning while I was doing my usual rounds through the MSN homepage and wanted to share with you guys some of the things from this list I agreed or disagreed with. The list compiles 29 products from the grocery store that you really shouldn't be buying when considering how easy it is to do at home or how much better for you it is to do from scratch. Let's break down some of the things on this list :)

Making scratch made dressing and vinaigrette is super easy to do at home especially thanks to websites like Pinterest or television networks like the Food Network or Cooking Channel which give you all the inspiration you could need. There are a billion ways to whip up scratch made salad dressings but sometimes we all still find ourselves reaching for a bottle of the pre-made stuff.

While there's nothing wrong with taking advantage of a bottle of dressing from the shelf at the market, all dressings and vinaigrettes are NOT created equal. This post is inspired by my sudden realization at work last night that I wanted to whip up a bean salad when I got home but had no vinegar and no fresh herbs which are scare here in Dublin. Knowing this, I went on the hunt for a bottle of vinaigrette and as someone who religiously reads ingredient labels, it was quickly apparent that no two vinaigrettes are the same.

In the case of bottled vinaigrette, the ingredients list should typically be short and sweet. Oil of course, vinegar, seasonings, herbs, maple syrup or honey, and occasionally citrus, other than this, you shouldn't see anything else in there but that is definitely not always the case. Here's a few things you should watch out for when shopping for vinaigrette!

CORN SYRUP

Another sugary substance hiding out in your dressings and vinagrettes. I can guarantee you that when you see one of these syrups, you'll also see sugar in the list as well which is just a nutritional disaster. There's no room in a vinaigrette for teaspoons upon teaspoons of sugar.

SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS

If your ingredient list is a short story and half of those ingredients sound like something straight out of an experimental laboratory, stay as far away from that vinaigrette as possible.

LOW FAT / LOW CAL

These are dangerous and misleading when it comes to bottle vinaigrettes because it almost every case of something being low in one thing, they've added more other bad things to compensate and keep things tasty. Just stick to full fat vinaigrettes and suggested serving sizes and you'll be fine.