Dear Nestlé ~ Easy-to-do and practical tips to live well and eat well

Did you know… that everyone needs at least three to five servings of fruits and vegetables every day according to the Malaysian Dietary Guidelines? Here’s why you should introduce more fruits and vegetables to your table. Vegetable matters They are generally: Low in fat and calories Rich in fibre and fill your stomach quickly Low in sodium Great source of nutrients, especially vitamins Pick your vegetables Fresh: Free from all preservatives, these have the best flavours and textures Frozen: A convenient choice for many busy mums Dried: A good option in stews and sauces e.g. mushrooms, fungi and lily bulbs Canned: Some canned foods may be lower in nutritional value and contain lots of salt. Try rinsing vegetables from the can to reduce salt.

Create a vegetable diet

Pre-cut vegetables e.g. carrot, celery and cucumber with low-fat yogurt dips
Grill bite-sized vegetable kebabs on skewers
Serve vegetables such as carrots and capsicum in fancy shapes using cookie cutters
Use seaweed (nori) wraps in place of sandwich bread

Try a new vegetable
Be adventurous and try some new vegetables the next time you’re grocery shopping e.g. purple cabbage or pumpkin.

More is always best when it comes to vegetables, but try to take a variety of colours to get the right blend of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Vegetables are the real nutritional deal – so load up today!

Tracy Lew is the Corporate Nutrition Advisor at Nestlé. She holds a Bachelors degree in Food Science & Nutrition and a Masters degree in Community Nutrition. She has been a Nutritionist for 15 years, with the last 9 years at Nestlé.