03 Mar How to Ensure You Always Have a Bit on the Side!
I personally, can’t bear to eat a meal without some kind of fruit and/or vegetables on the side, but it seems I am fairly unique in this.
In my book Feeding Good Habits, I write a whole chapter suggesting that meals should feel ‘naked’ if they are void of fruit, salad and vegetables. I even go so far as to say that fruit, salad and vegetables should be the main event on any plate, taking up at least half of the plate, and leaving the other elements – protein and carbohydrates – as the sides.
Where’s my side?
On a recent trip to Italy, I had to order a pizza without a side order of salad because unless I ordered a salad as a main dish, which would have been far too much for me, there simply wasn’t an option to order a salad as a side dish, and I really fancied a true Italian pizza.
This got me thinking about salads and vegetables on menus as a rule and how meals are predominantly still based around meat, fish, pizza, pasta etc., and rarely come with vegetables as standard. What happened to the meat and two veg meal of my youth? Yes, meat might have been the main focus back then, but the veg was always plentiful.
Chicken or the egg
I started to wonder if it was the consumer or the restaurateur who had determined the shift to ordering salad or vegetables as an extra side dish
Did it change because the consumer generally didn’t eat the vegetables that were served, therefore creating waste, or that the restaurateurs were trying to increase profits by encouraging customers to order them separately?
I suspect it’s a bit of both, but either way, it is not ideal. If the latter, then it is a problem as many people just don’t bother. The former is not good either as waste should always be avoided. So what can we do?
Get dressed for dinner
If you can start to view meals as ‘naked’ then you will always ensure you have at least one side of something, if not a whole meal. Once you get to the point where it feels wrong without vegetables you have arrived. It is a simple mindset shift that could save your life.
If I ever go for pizza with my colleagues or friends I always order a side salad. As they all plough through their huge pizzas I only get through half of mine, then I am not too full, but feel satisfied on all levels. I save the rest for later – my kids love cold pizza – with a salad of course!
Shoot for the moon
I am a firm believer that we need to eat more, not less, fruit and vegetables in order to achieve optimum health. Striving for 10 a day is a great idea, at the very least you have more chance of reaching 5 a day, although you’ll probably regularly reach 7 or more. Shoot for the moon and all that.
Sadly, the well-known 5-a-day campaign, launched around 20 years ago, has not encouraged us to eat more of the stuff, It’s reported that on average we are still only consuming around 3.5 portions a day which is barely any more than we used to eat, if any.
Has it become old hat?
Maybe we have just seen the ‘5 a Day’ thing too much and are blind to it, we know it, but we ignore it, much like smokers do with the brutal messages on cigarette packs or Say it. See it. Sorted on the trains.
But ignore it at your peril; fruit and vegetables are your ticket to better health and longevity as part of a balanced diet. Including a side or two, or even better making them your main focus is so good for your health.
But why?
Fruit and veg are loaded with free radical fighting antioxidants, and we need them now more than ever in our polluted, chemical-laden and pesticide-ridden world – to mention just a few ways that damaging free radicals are evoked – they can’t be avoided.
Viewing it like a game of space invaders can help, the shooter fires out healthy antioxidants (from fruits and veg) to combat the free radical invaders. Simply put, antioxidants protect against and combat disease causing free radicals so they can’t cause any lasting harm.
How can I eat more?
With fast food, fizzy drinks, chocolate bars and sweets vying for our attention, it’s no surprise there’s barely any room for the good stuff. These kinds of ultra-processed foods are certainly not conducive to a 10, or even 5 a day habit, which could be where the problem lies.
Get into the habit of throwing some fruit onto your breakfast, enjoying a mid-morning or afternoon fruit or vegetable snack – think carrots and hummus or apple and peanut butter – squeeze some salad into your sandwich and try to ensure your main meal has at least 3 portions of salad or veg, if not more.
Winner takes all
Make it varied in texture, taste and colour, mix and match with cooked and raw, eat a rainbow, and experiment with herbs and spices. I often put a bowl of brightly coloured chopped fruit, salad and raw veg into the middle of the table and let everyone delve in, there’s rarely any left.
You’ll soon notice how much better you feel and if you challenge yourself to eat 10 a day, it can turn into a game – you will always be the winner
Feed Good Habits
Kathy Mac
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Kathy Mac – author Feeding Good Habits – 12 weeks to rewire your mind, reset your habits and renew your relationship with food for improved health and sustained weight loss.