Why do we need to eat more Fruit and Vegetables?
The health benefits of getting more fruit and vegetables into your diet have been well established. Initially published by the World Health Organisation (WHO), numerous countries throughout the world have established campaigns promoting the consumption of more fruit and vegetables. To name a few, there is the UK’s 5 A Day, Australia’s Go for 2 & 5 and the US’s Fruits & Veggies – More Matters.
The WHO report recommends “a minimum of 400g of fruit and vegetables per day” and more recent research led by scientists from Imperial College London suggests that “Further benefits were observed with higher intakes. Eating up to 800g fruit and vegetables a day – or 10 portions”.
Eating more Fruit and Vegetables on a daily basis can lead to:
- Reduced risk of heart disease
- Reduced risk of stroke
- Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease
- Reduced risk of total cancer
- Reduction in dying prematurely
Our results suggest that although five portions of fruit and vegetables is good, ten a day is even better
Dr Dagfinn Aune
Fruit and vegetable intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease, total cancer and all-cause mortality
How to increase our intake of fruit and vegetables?
The short answer is to make a conscious decision to eat more! However, given that most people struggle to achieve the minimum recommended intake consistently, the problem most likely a time issue.
Juicing and Blending can help alleviate this problem.
Jucing and Blending are both processes that use a machine to reduce fruit and vegetables into a more liquid form, making it quicker, easier and faster to up your daily intake. So what are the differences? Which one is better? and what do you need to get started?
What is Juicing?
Jucing is a process where the liquid part of the fruit is separated from the solids, or pulp. You pop the fruit and vegetables into the juicer and you get a very concentrated nutrient dense watery juice out the front and all of the pulp and fibre gets stored in a container on the rear.
| Pros | Cons |
| – Nutrient-dense with less liquid – Low Fibre – Easier absorption of nutrients – Tastes like shop bought juice | – Single function appliance – Creates more waste from pulp and fiber – Some juices contain more sugar – Clean up can be a chore – No Bananas or Avocados |
What is Blending?
With blending, there is no separation of juice and pulp, what you put in is what you get out. The blades of the blender smash and cut the fruit and veg into a juicy mush, the end product often referred to as a smoothie.
| Pros | Cons |
| – Retain the fibre making a more filling drink – More versatile appliance – Can add other items such as nuts and seeds | – Can create high sugar smoothies – The texture is thicker and takes getting used to |
Which is Best? Juicing or Blending?
As you can see, there are pros and cons to both methods, and it depends on what your goals are. We prefer the blender as it is more versatile and can it can be utilised for other kitchen tasks such as making salad dressings, blending soups and it can even double up as a juicer with a simple hack. If you have specific dietary requirements like a low fibre diet, then a juicer may be more suited to you. Follow the link below to find some great Juicers on Amazon.
Our Favourite Blenders
When it comes to blenders, there are two that we love.
Entry Level: NUTRiBULLET 600
We highly recommend the Nutribullet 600 as a great entry point into making smoothies, and due to its low cost, it can be an excellent gift for the health-conscious. It is compact enough to leave out on the side in even the smallest of kitchens, and the powerful 600W motor can manage most tasks.
High End: Vitamix Pro Series Blender
Moving on from the Nutribullet is the powerhouse Vitamix Pro series. Being a more conventional form factor, the Vitamix naturally has an increased capacity over the Nutribullet and is a much more powerful appliance. It will happily rise to almost anything you throw at it which in turn opens a whole new world of blending, milling, and even making soup from cold! The Vitamix, although more expensive, can do everything the Nutribullet can, faster and better. It also comes with a manufacturer 7-year warranty too.
Recipes and more
Here are some recipes to help get you started…
- Spinach, Coconut and Banana Green Smoothie
- A Zesty Lemon, Apple, Avocado and Green Tea Smoothie
- Green Tea and Mango Detox Smoothie
- Green Smoothie with Spinach, Apple and Pineapple
- Make Great Green Smoothies with these 5 tips
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