2 Fruit and 5 Vegetable

I've heard about the push from the health authorities for years. Where they try to get Australians to eat more fruit and vegetables.

It has always made me feel a little guilty, because I don't eat that many vegetable. I eat potatoes, and onions, mushrooms too, most days. But I could only rarely manage to eat 5 different vegetables.

Imagine my joy yesterday when I discovered I was mixed up. I didn't have to eat different vegetables, I just had to eat five servings of vegetables. I could have three servings of potatoes and two of sweetcorn, if that was what I wanted. Or five servings of mushrooms!

I found out this liberating information yesterday at my Community Foodies training, and it made me so happy! I've been beating myself up as a bad mother for not giving my son five different veges every day, when all I needed to do is feed him lots of my yummy home-made wedges, and some sweet corn, and I could wear my good mother hat with pride!

Of course, eating a wide variety of food, whether fruit, vegetable, grains, dairy or meat is the best way. Food scientists know a lot about food, but they are always discovering new things. If we all eat a bit of everything, then we'll get all of the goodies scientists know about, and also the goodies they haven't discovered yet.

Yesterday we learned about the five food groups, how to read labels including understanding the sometimes misleading language on them, antioxidants, fibre, the importance of eating breakfast and drinking enough water. We also have a delicious curry cooked by one of the other people doing the course. Thanks Shirley! It was a great day of sharing what we already knew, and learning more.

So part of my homework is having breakfast every day, and drinking more water - I am not good about these things, but now I have more information about why they are important, so I will follow the guidelines better.

Breakfast is another opportunity to fit more serves of different foods into my day, and water helps my body do what it does. I'm convinced now, and I'm going to get my breakfast of cereal right now!