Vitamin Expert

Q & A: How to get your ‘5 a day’ on the run

“I know that we should all try to eat our five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, but I really struggle some days! I work long hours and I am often eating on the run.  Any suggestions?”

Clinical nutritionist Suzie Sawyer answers.

I really understand how difficult it can be when you’re not at home to prepare fresh meals and it’s hard to get to the shops.  However, your new best friend is going to be a juicer!  With the amount of nutrients you can obtain from a juice, you can almost get your five-a-day in one hit!  There is an initial investment for the juicer (check out the Nutri Bullet which is becoming very popular) but the health benefits will be far-reaching.

You can even prepare the juice overnight and leave it in the fridge to drink first thing in the morning, or take with you on the go. Some of the nutrients will be lost, the longer the juice is left, so try and make a fresh one every couple of days or so.

Some of my favourite foods to include in a juice are pineapple, apple, watercress, kale and broccoli.  Try to shop for your ingredients at the weekend but also remember that using frozen fruits and vegetables is fine; they have normally been frozen very soon after they have been harvested which helps to retain much of their nutrient content. Try out a range of juices until you discover your favourites – you’ll never get tired of coming up with different combinations!