Research publicised today tells us that we should be eating 10 portions of fruit and veg a day and that vegetables are much healthier than fruit.
“A healthy diet should include 10 portions of fruit and vegetables a day, doubling the five-a-day official advice, health experts have said.
The research, which involved a 12-year study, also found that vegetables were four times healthier than fruit.
The study, by University College London, found that eating large quantities of fruit and vegetables significantly lowered the risk of premature death. People who ate at least seven portions of fruit and vegetables each day were 42 per cent less likely to die from any cause over the course of the study.
The researchers also discovered that canned and frozen fruit increased the risk of dying by 17 per cent, and fruit juice was found to have no significant benefit.”
The Telegraph, 1-4-14 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/10735633/Healthy-diet-means-10-portions-of-fruit-and-vegetables-per-day-not-five.html
You will get no arguments from me about this research and I planned to up my vegetable intake immediately.
However, I had to buy breakfast today and didn’t fancy any of the vegetable options so I had a Bircher Muesli with apple in it and that is a date on top which is far from ideal. Consumed with a cup of tea. I did enjoy it but so far, zero vegetables.
I didn’t do much better at lunch time either. I was out meeting someone and was out longer than I intended having a coffee in Timber Yard. I ordered an egg mayonnaise sandwich with a salad. But by the time they served me, the salad bar was finished and it wasn’t even 1pm ! I really like Timber Yard ; the seating, use of iPads, ambience, vibe, food and coffee are great. But they are so disorganised in there I find it very frustrating. I am so annoyed they ran out of salad so early. The sandwich was good though.
On the way home I went to Wholefoods Market to buy some extra veggies for tea. London was warm and sunny, even at 6pm. Trafalgar Square was full of people enjoying the sunshine.
I was feeling hungry so I enjoyed this bag of nuts on the train.
Quite delicious and took the edge of my hunger.
At home I watered the vegetable beds and was pleased to see the lettuces I sowed last week have germinated. Go lettuces !
I also decided to have a vegetable stir fry for supper and made sure I ate 10 vegetables;
1. Kale (from garden)
2. Swiss Chard (from garden)
3. Celery
4. Pak Choi
5. Spinach
6. Mushrooms
7. Cavolo Nero
8. Carrots
9. Yellow courgette
10. Tenderstem Broccoli
I stir fried them with onion (which makes 11) and sesame seeds.
I cooked with Ghee which I have never used before. I really like using coconut oil but don’t always want my meals to have a coconut flavour so this is an excellent alternative. 
I stir fry the onions and tougher veg, such as celery and kale stalks in the fat and then add a little water when I add everything else to get it steaming. It means I use less fat but I also like the texture I end up with.
Served with coriander (12).
I did have cucumber (13) in my sandwich and an apple (14) in my breakfast. When I was at Wholefoods Market I tasted my first asparagus (15) of the season.
I realise that the quantities of each vegetable I had today is not big enough to count as a portion. But it is important to eat a wide variety of vegetables so I am pleased with the number of different plant foods I ate today. Tomorrow I will have to up the quantities.
Lose Weight and Gain Health 
Funnily enough I was telling my DH about your blog last night. Home and Away is currently in London and there was a scene with one of the characters sight seeing (he was in Trafalgar Square) and I was telling him about your photos of London and how much I love seeing them. Then this morning, there is your photos of Trafalgar. lol
Have you ever been to London? It is a fantastic City and well worth a visit. I have never watched H and A but I do confess to being a Neighbours fan and have been for as long as I can remember!
I gave up on neighbours a long, long time ago. lol
No, I have never been outside of Australia but my camera and I are itching for a good journey. Sadly, it will need to wait for a while whilst we explore closer to home.