10 easy ways to enjoy fruit and veg that take hardly any extra time

1. Add fruit to your breakfast

Do you eat yoghurt, quark or porridge in the morning? Then why not add some fruit straight away? Think banana, apple, pear, strawberries or blueberries. You don’t need to go to any trouble to prepare it: just wash, slice and you’re done. Choose fruit that you like or that you already have at home.

2. Turn your sandwich into a vegetable moment

It’s really easy to add a bit of extra veg to a sandwich. For example, top your bread with slices of cucumber, tomato, radish or pepper. These go well with all sorts of fillings and require hardly any extra preparation. That way, you’ll have had some veg at lunch without even realising it.

3. Take fruit with you for the journey

Fruit is perhaps the easiest snack there is. An apple, pear, banana or mandarin can easily go in your bag. In the morning, simply place a piece of fruit next to your lunch or pop it straight into your bag. Then you won’t have to think about it later in the day.

4. Keep snack vegetables within easy reach

Cherry tomatoes, radishes and small gherkins are perfect for eating on their own. Peppers, carrots and cucumbers also make a tasty snack when cut into strips. Keep a small container in the fridge or take it with you to work. They’re lovely on their own, but also with a dip, for example.

Tip: combine this tip with a recipe for a vegetable dip or hummus.

5. Add fruit to your lunch

You can also make time for fruit at lunchtime. For example, add an apple, a pear, some grapes or an orange to a salad. That way, you combine fruit and veg in a single dish. Don’t feel like preparing anything? A piece of fruit alongside your sandwich or salad works just as well, of course.

6. Put soup on the menu

Soup is an easy way to incorporate different vegetables into a single dish. Think tomato soup, pumpkin soup, courgette soup or a hearty vegetable soup. Make a bit extra and save a portion for the next day. That way, your next vegetable moment will take almost no extra time.

7. Make your salad a bit more colourful

A salad doesn’t have to be complicated. Start with some lettuce and add a few vegetables you already have at home, such as tomatoes, cucumber, peppers or carrots. Fruit can be a lovely addition too, for example apples, pears or grapes.

Tip: do you have any roasted vegetables left over from the night before? You can mix those in straight away.

8. Add extra vegetables to your hot meal

Is it pasta, curry, a rice dish or a stew on the menu? See if you can easily add an extra vegetable. For example, stir peppers or courgettes into the pasta sauce, add spinach to a curry or serve some extra broccoli with your potatoes. So you don’t need to cook a whole new dish just to put more veg on the table.

9. Make life easier with frozen fruit and veg

Fresh isn’t the only option. Frozen veg is handy when you’re short on time. A handful of peas, spinach or other frozen veg can often be added straight to a dish. And frozen fruit? That’s ideal for a smoothie, for example.

10. Round off the day with fruit

Even after dinner, there’s still time for a bit of fruit. Simply choose a piece of fruit or chop up different varieties for a quick fruit salad. Add a bit of yoghurt and you’ll have a tasty dessert in a matter of minutes. That way, an extra bit of fruit really doesn’t need to be a separate recipe.