Did you know that more than 12,000 new cancer cases are due to an unhealthy diet*? Eating lots of vegetables and fruit not only provides beneficial fibre, vitamins and minerals, it also decreases your cancer risk. Here are some ways you can add more vegetables and fruit to your diet.
1. Wash and prep your veggies in advance
Where possible, wash, peel, chop and store your veggies in an airtight container in your fridge in advance. Having ready-to-eat veggies makes grabbing a quick snack or cooking with them on a busy weeknight that much easier.
2. Buy produce that you’ve never had before
Buy at least one new vegetable or fruit each time you shop for groceries. Exploring new vegetables and fruit will make you excited to try it and maybe you will even discover something that you want to buy again.
3. Make your salads more exciting
Spice up your salads by making your own dressing and adding unexpected textures like nuts, legumes and different types of lettuce.
4. Add extra veggies to your recipes
If you’re making soup, stew, pasta sauce or curry, add in more veggies than the recipe calls for.
5. Have fruit for dessert
Skip the sugary pastries or chocolate and have some fresh fruit for dessert. Slice up some apples, pears or peaches or make a mixed berry salad.
For more tips on eating well overall, visit cancer.ca or Canada’s Food Guide.
*Less than 4 servings of vegetables and fruit per day and any red or processed meat.