March is International Nutrition Month – Celebrating A World of Flavour. Designed to promote informed food choices and promote healthy eating and physical activity habits, the theme of this year’s campaign is A World of Flavours.

“This is such an important theme because sustaining healthy eating means enjoying your food, loving the taste and being excited to eat it again and to do this we have to have flavour,” explains our favourite dietician Elmari Carelse.

In support of International Nutrition Month Elmari explores the flavours of fruit and vegetables and clever ways to increase your intake and enjoy it at the same time.

“Remember your goal is 2 cups of fruit and 2 ½ cups of vegetables per day, and achieving this is easier if you make half your plate fruits and vegetables. Here are a few ways to do this and love what you eat too!,” says Elmari…………

1. Use vegetables as pizza toppings – try broccoli, spinach, peppers, tomatoes and mushrooms
2. Mix up a breakfast smoothie with low-fat milk and frozen berries with banana or mango with pineapple or peach.
3. Make a veggie wrap or taco with roasted vegetables and low-fat cheese.
4. Try crunchy vegetables instead of chips with your favourite low-fat salad dressing for dipping.
5. Grill colourful vegetable kebabs packed with tomatoes, green and red peppers, mushrooms and onions.
6. Add colour to salads with baby carrots, spinach leaves or mandarin oranges.
7. Keep cut vegetables handy for mid-afternoon snacks, side dishes or lunch boxes.
8. Place colourful fruit where everyone can easily grab something for a snack on the run.
9. Try fruit purees such as apples, berries, peaches or pears for a thick, sweet sauce on grilled seafood or poultry.
10. Turn any omelette into a hearty meal with broccoli, squash, carrots, peppers, tomatoes or onions with low-fat sharp cheddar cheese.
11. Add pizzazz to sandwiches with sliced pineapple, apple, peppers, cucumber and tomato as fillings.
12. Make a habit of adding fruit to your morning meal
13. Top a baked potato with beans and salsa or broccoli and low-fat cheese.
14. Keep vegetable soup in your freezer and warm it up for a lunch or snack meal
15. Add grated, shredded or chopped vegetables such as baby marrow, spinach, brinjal and carrots to pasta dishes, casseroles, curries, soups, and stews.
16. Make fruit your dessert: Slice a banana lengthwise and top with a scoop of low-fat frozen yoghurt. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of chopped nuts.
17. Stock your freezer with frozen vegetables to steam or stir-fry for a quick side dish.
18. Make your main dish a salad of dark, leafy greens and other colourful vegetables. Add chickpeas or edamame and top with low-fat dressing.
19. Make kebabs with pineapple, peaches and banana. Grill on low heat until the fruit is hot and slightly golden.
20. Don’t be scared to dip! Whole wheat pita wedges in hummus, baked tortilla chips in salsa, strawberries or apple slices in low-fat yoghurt.

If you need support with your eating habits, book an appointment with Elmari who will set you on the right path for life!