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1. Add a handful of berries to cereal - fresh or frozen.
Berries are known as “powerhouses” of nutrients as they are jam-packed with
antioxidants. Fresh berries in Bermuda can be expensive, however, so if necessary, try frozen fruit. These can be defrosted overnight. Defrosted berries tend to be juicier, so they are great adding to yoghurt!
2. Snack on an apple, orange, kiwi, peach, plum or pear.
Snacking on any fruit is healthy, as long as you just have one portion size. However, the fruits listed above are particularly low in natural sugar, which is helpful if you are trying to manage your weight. Eating fresh fruit with protein (e.g. by adding eight raw almonds to your snack) can help to slow the release of sugar into your bloodstream, providing a sustained energy release over a longer period of time.
3. Have a salad at lunchtime, the darker the leaves the better.
Salads are great at lunchtime, especially as the weather becomes warmer. For those who work in Hamilton, many of the restaurants in town have fantastic salad bars that allow you to add extra vegetables – broccoli, asparagus, tomatoes, cucumber, red onions, grated carrot, peppers, mushrooms, which make great additions to a salad!
4. Snack on carrot or pepper sticks with salsa or hummus.
Everyone loves to dip! But we typically use salty chips that are high in saturated fat. By snacking on veggie sticks instead, you can reduce the saturated fat in your diet and get in a serving of vegetables, too. Peppers, cucumber, celery and carrots all make great veggie sticks. It’s easy to dip raw broccoli and cauliflower too. You may find that it’s tricky to move your family away from chips, so we suggest that to begin with you put out chips too – just less. Over time, family members may be tempted to try the veggies, especially when they do not feel pressured or forced to do so. Any leftover veggies can be used in stir-fries, salads or soups, or simply served steamed.
5. Include broccoli, spinach or salad greens with dinner.
Dinner time is a great opportunity to eat at least one serving of green vegetables or salad greens, and preferably two! Try steaming your veggies as this helps to retain vital nutrients. If you boil them, keep the cooking time to a maximum of three minutes, after which time there is significant nutrient loss.