5 a Day — Is This Even Possible?

When I read the US Department of Health’s recommendations for how much fruit and vegetables we should eat daily (more or less 5 servings), I was struck with how much effort, planning and shopping it takes to fulfill it. Personally, I fall short almost everyday EXCEPT when I make myself a frozen fruit shake in the morning. It’s quick, easy, involves minimal planning and helps me get at least two servings in before 8am.

My problem is that I buy a lot of fruit and vegetables and then don’t eat them before they wilt or rot. As a Classic I’m supposed to be an über planner [Kate says that actually it’s the Smart Structures and Organic Structures who are the über planners. Classics are just naturally organized and it drives them crazy to waste ANYTHING.] But when you’re super busy, it’s hard to think about how to ingest all of these perishable edibles!! Even though the government has an entire website, fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov, devoted to trying to get us to eat more fruits and vegetables (I hope everyone else enjoys the irony of your tax dollars hard at work convincing you to do what you already know you should do.) I think there’s an easier way.

I got this idea from my friend Dana in my son’s playgroup. She’s a yoga instructor, an amazing cook and the embodiment of healthy living in a normal way. I take about 6 oz of water and dump it in a blender with about a half cup of frozen mangoes (pre-chopped up), then a frozen berry mix, a half a banana (sometimes a whole one) and then a handful of baby spinach (I buy the pre-rinsed variety, Katie has had luck with the frozen kind.) I figure the spinach is a nod toward vegetables and protein. I blend it all together and that’s it. I’m halfway to fulfilling my daily requirement of fruits & vegetables.

You can use all kinds of fruit. You can add juice or for some protein soymilk, rice milk, almond milk, maybe add some protein or green powder (they sell it at Whole Foods). You get the picture—do a million variations until you find your favorite.

One tip is to clean or soak the blender immediately or it’s a bitch to clean. As a Classic, I clean out the blender & glass immediately. But, other types are not as instinctual about dishes. I know Katie (Organic Freedom) would leave it until later. [Katie always fills it with water to soak actually!] If you’re the latter, put it in the sink and fill it with water until you get to it or it gets caked on and hard to wash. Another way to make it is to do a double batch in the Cuisinart and save the rest for the next day.