Opinion: When vegetables come first

Why? I hear you ask. Why on earth should vegetables come first?

Well because they are pretty, for a start. They are a feast for the senses. The majority of veggies and fruit look GORGEOUS, feel lovely to the touch and taste DIVINE (OK, kale doesn't unless made into kale chips with LOTS of grey salt - there I said it). Can you tell I'm not a massive kale fan?

Kale rant over, my next reason for putting veggies first is that most veggies need very little preparation and if you are a lazy hound like me, then, this argument would appeal to you above all else. Veg are EASY to prepare and easier to eat. And if you have a faddy child, you can always make some really fancy colourful designs on a plate with veg and fruit to inspire little people. All you have to do is search online for 'artistic vegetable tray' and get inspired!

Next reason (and my reasons are not in order of priority) is that veggies are good for you. Yeah, yeah, heard it all before, your five a day and all that jazz... But no, just hold on one. I mean it. Veggies are GOOD for you! All these 'antioxidants' this and 'resveratrol' that and every other unpronounceable name that nutritional science keeps throwing at us, the curcuminoids and flavonoids (ok, I'm stopping here, I can see your eyes glazing over), all are found in colourful veggies and fruit.

And I keep adding fruit to the mix because some of what we have come to think of as veggies are actually fruit. Illustrious examples are tomatoes and avocados. You know the saying, "Intelligence is knowing a tomato is a fruit, common sense is not adding it to a fruit salad".

By now you are probably wondering what on earth I am on about. Not sure, to be honest, except to maybe to inspire you to have another look at veggies (and fruit). Forget the five-a-day. Just eat veg. Just eat fruit. Glorious organic, homegrown, less travelled veg and fruit.

Grow them on your windowsill or balcony, if you haven't got a garden
Find out how easy it is to turn a length of guttering into a brimming salad grower
Never throw your eggshells out again
Discover what untreated discarded pallets can do
Get an allotment and get mucky and grow veg
Discover what square foot gardening is