Eating more veggies and fruit might have been your new year’s resolution but how well are you doing a month later? South African research shows that our favourite excuses for not reaching our 5-a-Day include time constraints, convenience, family dislikes and that it’s too expensive.
 
We can’t plead ignorance, though. According to  research undertaken by Markinor on behalf of the 5-a-Day for Better Health TRUST, urban South African women know that eating plenty of vegetables and fruit is crucial to maintaining good health and even preventing disease, and in fact spontaneously mention vegetables and fruit as being the key factor in a healthy diet. Yet in reality neither they nor their families eat the recommended five servings a day of vegetables and fruit, with most South Africans only consuming half of that needed for optimal health.
 
British research, released recently by the International Fruit & Vegetable Alliance, has found that individual behavior change depends on a sequence of other changes – information, attitude, motivation, changes in skills and resources, access and availability, as well as changes in social norms and cultural expectations. In other words, vegetable and fruit consumption is strongly influenced by convenience and price, eating habits cultivated from childhood and the messages you’re getting from the world out there. Most importantly, it found that healthy eating begins in the home, with nutritious meals at the table.
 
“So the trick is to make a wide variety of the rainbow of vegetables and fruit as much part of your home routine as getting dressed in the morning,” says 5-a-Day registered dietitian Jane Badham.
 
Start by banishing those excuses. A great deal of time is saved by buying plenty of frozen vegetables, which eliminates the need to peel and chop and makes preparing a nutritious meal for the whole family easy and fuss-free even for the most time pressed. “Buy lots of fruit too, and have it in a fruit basket close at hand for the on-the-run snack. Add fruit, 100% pure unsweetened fruit juice (still or sparkling) and finger veggie pieces into your child’s daily lunch box, and try simple dinner recipes that include plenty of vegetables. There are so many wonderful vegetables and fruit available all year round, you just need to experiment a bit. Growing your own vegetables is another excellent way to lead your family in healthy living and also be part of the sustainability revolution – the bonus is that children will often eat veggies that they have been part of growing so get them involved,” says Badham.
 
Vegetables and fruit are still relatively inexpensive in South Africa, and cheapest when they’re in season, so get into the habit of buying fresh and growing, seasonal produce, which also means you vary your veggie and fruit intake from month to month. “When thinking of meals for the family, focus first on what vegetables or fruit to use. With a little effort at the beginning, you’ll gradually change your family’s eating patterns for the better and it will become a healthy habit,” Badham concludes.

“Just one month into 2010 and we’re already making excuses as to why are we’re not reaping the benefits of the foods known to give us the greatest health benefits - vegetables and fruits.” advises Badham.