5-A-Day Checklist for Healthier Life

kerlynn ( role ) — Thu, 19 Oct 2023 01:50:11 +0000

Based on findings by NHMS (2019), only 5% of Malaysians achieve the recommended intake for fruits and vegetables. It is important to consume fruits and vegetables within the recommended intake which aids in weight management and disease prevention.

A serving of vegetables is approximately one cup of raw vegetables or 1/2 cup of cooked vegetables. Meanwhile, for fruits, it is one medium or one slice of any fruit.

Here are some ideas on how to get the most out of five servings a day. Consuming them fresh, frozen, tinned, dried, or even juice it out.

Shopping on fruits and vegetables

When doing groceries, fill up your cart with colourful fruits and vegetables to attract your interest

Snack on fruit and vegetables

Grab fruits and vegetables such as apple, pear, banana, tomato, cucumber, carrot as they make for excellent snacks and they are also delicious, low in calories and easy to grab

Make juices and smoothies

Consuming fruits and vegetables in their original form will provide us with more fiber and less sugar

However, those who have just started to incorporate fruits in their daily meal can start with fruit juice or veggie-based smoothie without adding sugar and filtering the fiber to get the full benefit of it

Try to consume at least one colour a day of the following categories

The vegetable color of rainbow is red, green, blue or purple, yellow or orange and white or brown

Set a schedule and rotate across all five veggies rainbow for example red fruits and vegetables on Monday, green on Tuesday and so on

Make vegetables taste good

Many dislike vegetables and do not find it enjoyable and tasty

You can try to pair the vegetables with a low-calorie dip or dressing or adding your favourite herbs and spices to make them more appealing to consume

In a nutshell, achieving 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day seems hard at first but knowing the benefits gained from it should be our inspiration to incorporate them into our eating habits. Fruits and vegetables contain combinations of fibre, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals which are vital in maintaining our overall long-term health.