A busy bee by day, I worry about my meals constantly. If it is not an empty fridge, it is the nutritional value of the food.
It all started with the darned research about the optimal daily fruits and vegetable intake. According to experts in the know, we need five portions of fruit and vegetables a day to stay fighting fit and reduce the risk of some cancers, heart disease and chronic conditions.

Food retailers, suppliers and politicians have gone into overdrive educating the masses about five-a-day in the Western world. It’s the new carbon consciousness, served with a smile at your friendly local food market.

Trying to stay on top of the portions is tricky business, with one medium apple or banana providing one portion. Three tablespoons of vegetables apparently do the trick, too.

Sadly, ketchup and crisps don't count.

I don’t know about you, but I’m more likely to eat something to fill my stomach at the end of the day than give in to my deep-rooted concerns about premature ageing and chronic illness.

Back home after a long day, there are only a few things that matter. Eating is one of them. Nutrition is not. Usually.

It’s so hard to be good.

Thankfully, there are ways to add the goodness of five-a-day to your meals without rethinking your chosen career path, social scene or lifestyle. Here are some carry tricks from moi to keep your body pumped with the things that count.

Invest in a mixer grinder or blender: One of the quickest thing you can do is blitz chopped up fruits with some plain curds (dahi) and a little bit of sugar for a healthy super cocktail breakfast before you leave for work.

Remember, juices start deteriorating within 20 minutes of being extracted, so you need to make this just as you are about to drink it.

Make soup: Think about it. Lots of wholesome vegetables such as carrots, cauliflowers and peas, sautéed in a teaspoon of oil, with water, some spices and then zapped in the mixie.

You can have some immediately and save the rest for another meal. Try carrot and coriander, tomato and oregano or mixed vegetable. Chuck in some raw shredded chicken and sliced chillies for extra oomph.

Don’t boil vegetables: This is the equivalent of throwing the baby out with the bathwater. All the gorgeously good nutrients from the veggies go straight into the water, which you then promptly dispose of. Not big or clever.

Try stir frying instead, cooking them with rice or steaming them in a gravy with the lid on to help them cook.

The motto is this: Don’t hold back. Chop a banana into your cereal, grab a fruit on the way to work and have a side salad with your normal meal.

And finally, if you’re lucky enough to get a wholesome sabzi under your nose regularly – cherish it. You’re well on your way to five-a-day heaven.

Liked this one? There's more! Check out Mallika Basu's earlier column, My 5-Step Flavour Plan

Born and brought up in Kolkata, India, Mallika Basu is a public relations consultant in London. She hosts a blog, Quick Indian Cooking, for busy food lovers around the world.