We all know veggies are good for us, but five-a-day ain’t always a cinch. Until now.

Is your enthusiasm for eating vegetables as robust as the spinach wilting in the bottom of your fridge? No judgement here. Especially not when our Health of the Nation report revealed that only 38 per cent of us get enough of them every day. 

But since, “A diet rich in vegetables has been linked with a lower risk of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer,” as Robbie Clark, accredited practising dietitian and director of Health Bank Technologies points out – plus the fact eating fibre-rich veg has a whole range of gut health benefits – it’s important to try and squeeze our daily five serves in. And that’s where we’re here to help. 

Together with Clark, foodie queen and Vitamix brand manager Melissa Lyras, and accredited practising dietitian Amanda Smith from Verde Nutrition Co, share these out-of-the-ordinary ideas to help you eat a rainbow of veg for the max variety of vitamins and antioxidants every day… without even trying.

#1. Add cauliflower to smoothies

Cauliflower? In a smoothie? We’re just as surprised as you. But Smith says the tasteless veg will add a creamy consistency to your drink while crossing off one of your five serves of veg for the day. She recommends this delish combo: 150g of frozen mango, 75g of cauliflower (hint: use frozen cauliflower rice for easy prep), a scoop of protein powder or a high protein yoghurt, choice of milk, nut butter, and an optional teaspoon of honey for more sweetness.

#2. Make frozen kale cubes

If you tend to buy kale at the beginning of the week, only to throw it out days later because it’s gone limp, Lyras has this solution for you: remove the stem, then blend the kale leaves with a touch of water and freeze it in an ice cube tray. “Once it’s frozen, store the kale cubes in a freezer bag and you now have veg that you can easily pop into soups, smoothies and pasta sauce.” It’s as easy as adding a kale cube or two to your dish. Simple.

#3. Hide zucchini in beef patties

This tip is for the meat lovers: “Any mince dish is quite good to sneak veg into by reducing the meat component a little or bulking it out more with veg,” says Smith, who recommends adding tinned lentils to bolognese for a double veg-and-protein hit. “Diced capsicum, celery or mushrooms are also good for that. If you’re making burger patties, grated zucchini, which has no flavour, and carrot work really nicely.”

 #4. Conceal carrot in your ice-cream

Who knew veg could be a dessert staple? Clark did. “Blend fruits, coconut water and vegetables like spinach, carrot, and beetroot together, then pour the mixture into ice block moulds to freeze,” he says. You can also take it to the next level by transforming it into a healthy homemade ice-cream. “Just add natural Greek yoghurt or coconut yoghurt,” Clark says. “The vibrant colours and sweet taste make these treats even more appealing.”

#5. Make an end-of-week frittata

One of Lyras’ favourite tips will save you money while adding more veg to your day. “At the end of the week, do a sweep of the fridge and grab any veg that’s at the end of its life,” she says. “I then chop and fry up the veg first, then add eggs and throw it in the oven to create an easy, beautiful frittata, which is a great protein hit for breakfast.”

#6. Stuff veggies with veggies

What’s healthier than one vegetable? A bunch of veg within a veg, says Clark. “For example, hollow out capsicums, then stuff them with a mixture of quinoa rice, black beans, corn, tomatoes, onion, grated carrot, zucchini, herbs, and spices. You can also top Portobello mushrooms with a blend of diced vegetables, herbs, and cheese and place them under a grill to cook.”

#7. Supercharge your sauce

“If you're making a tomato-based pasta sauce, roast or steam some veg, and then blend it in the sauce using a stick blender,” suggests Smith, who says the texture won’t change too much and you won’t really taste the extra veg either. While Clark suggests taking it up a notch by swapping your noodles with the veg version. “Use a spiraliser or peeler to turn vegetables into noodle-like shapes. Vegetables like zucchini, beetroot, cucumber, sweet potato, or carrots are best for spiralising. These veggie noodles can be used as a base for your favourite pasta dishes, stir-fries, or salads.”

#8. Snack on snow peas

When 3pm-itis hits, Smith recommends a tasty snack plate – that even includes chocolate(!). “Choose a hummus, tzatziki or a beetroot dip with some snow peas, carrot, celery, capsicum or whatever veg you sort of enjoy. Then add nuts or a little bit of chocolate,” Smith suggests. Love the sound of that.