Eat plenty of vegetables, legumes and fruits
a) This is important because we get many vitamins and minerals from these food groups. We need these micronutrients to perform and regulate many different functions in the body. We also get some energy from sugar and starch. Each type of fruit and vegetable gives us different nutrients, so we should make sure to eat several serves each day of different ones. We can also get some fibre from legumes, and a little from other vegetables and fruit. Fibre helps us avoid constipation, decreases our risk of colo-rectal cancer, slows down the absorption of sugar and is good for the health of our GI tract.
a) I did not eat enough fruit or vegetables. On one of the days I ate no vegetables at all, and on the other two days I ate only two or three serves of salad. The guidelines tell me that I should eat five serves of vegetables each day. I ate one piece of fruit every day, but I should eat two so this isn’t enough.
b) I hate vegetables so I rarely eat them. I do eat some kinds of salad (e.g. tabbouleh) but I can’t stand cooked vegetables. My family doesn’t eat vegetables as part of our diet, so there is no encouragement for me to eat them. I like fruit and I make sure to eat it every day because I know it’s a healthier snack than chocolate or crisps, but I didn’t know that I should eat two serves every