The way to combat the risks of these diseases is to promote a healthy lifestyle by eating meat in moderation and consuming the right amount of fruits and vegetables.

EATING meat in moderation and consuming the right amount of fruits and vegetables is a way to combat risks of diseases.

Despite the proven health benefits of eating fruits and vegetables, Filipinos are found not to eat enough green produce as they should.

From a daily average of 145 grams of greens in 1978, Filipinos consumed only 110 grams of vegetables a day in 2008, based on the latest available data of the National Nutrition Council.

Meat consumption, on the other hand, is at an all-time high thanks to so many ready-to-eat canned products as well fast food chains. While eating meat is a good source of protein, excessive consumption can increase the risk of heart disease and high cholesterol.

Reduced consumption of fruit and vegetable is also linked to poor health and increased risk of non-communicable diseases (NCD). An estimated 3.9 million deaths worldwide were attributable to inadequate fruit and vegetable consumption in 2017, says the World Health Organization (WHO).

The way to combat the risks of these diseases is to promote a healthy lifestyle by eating meat in moderation and consuming the right amount of fruits and vegetables. The WHO suggests consuming more than 400 grams of fruits and vegetables per day to improve overall health and, reduce the risk of certain NCD.

To help you and your family lead a healthy lifestyle, BEKO Philippines shares some simple tips to introduce fruits and vegetables to family meals.

Add fruits and vegetables to the menu. Make it a point to incorporate vegetables and fruits on the plate. Vegetables as side dishes and fruits as desserts are not only healthy, but add variation and texture to any meal. It also introduces more flavors to the meal without the worry of preservatives and promotes a healthier eating habit.

Serve salads as the merienda. For people who love snacking, salads are a better way to make it healthy fare. Salads are delicious and are packed full of nutritional benefits such as vitamins, minerals and fiber. And if you like fancy texture in your salads; throw in nuts like almonds, hazel nuts, walnuts, cashews and peanuts. These not only add crunch but are rich in protein, vitamins B and E, folates, magnesium, oleic acid, calcium and omega 3.

Experiment with recipes to make greens more appealing. Getting children to eat vegetables and fruits has always been challenging. However, there are a lot of tasty recipes that make use of vegetables as the key ingredient. Roasted broccoli with melted cheese, roasted sesame seeds with asparagus toasts and poached eggs, corn cilantro salad and shrimp and asparagus pasta are just some of the delicious vegetable-based recipes your kids will love.