The quick and easy way to eating 5-a-day
There can’t be many people around who haven’t heard the 5-a-day health message. Yes, we all know we should be eating five portions of fruit and veg a day – yet research has shown that most of us actually eat fewer than three. Just why is it so important we up our intake? And how can we get into the five-a-day habit?
Why we should go for five?
Fruit and vegetables are vital for a healthy lifestyle
because they contain essential vitamins and minerals, which our bodies need to function properly. (For example, vitamin C helps maintain healthy skin, gums and nerves, while calcium helps support healthy bones and teeth.) Fruit and veg also contain fibre, which helps maintain a healthy digestive system.
According to the Department of Health, increasing the amount of fruit and veg you eat is the second most important thing you can do to reduce your risk of cancer, after stopping smoking.
5 great reasons to make 5-a-day part of your daily eating
1. Most fruit and vegetables contain very little fat and are lower in calories than other foods, making them a great choice for maintaining healthy weight
2. Fruit and vegetables are packed full of vitamins and minerals that are vital for good health
3. Fruit and vegetables also an important source of antioxidants
4. Fruit and vegetables contain both soluble and insoluble fibre. Insoluble fibre helps maintain a healthy digestive system, whilst soluble fibre may help reduce blood cholesterol levels
5. Studies have shown consistently that populations that have a high intake of fruit and vegetables have a lower incidence of heart disease, some cancers and other health problems.
What counts?
Fresh, frozen, canned, dried and juiced fruit and vegetables all count towards your five a day. All fruits and vegetables count wherever they appear in your diet! So whether eaten on their own as a snack, or in your main meal of the day, they all help you towards your 5-a-day.
Eat a rainbow every day
For optimum health benefits, you should vary your 5-a-day as much as possible. Why? Because different coloured fruits and vegetables contain different combinations of nutrients. So oranges are high in vitamin C, while asparagus is high in folic acid.
What is a portion?
So, just what is one portion of fruit or veg? Here’s a guide for adults (kids’ portions will be smaller).
1 portion equals 80g of fresh, frozen or canned fruit or veg, about 30g dried fruit and 150ml glass of 100% juice (fruit, vegetable or smoothie).
Fruit
Small fruits: 2 plums, 2 satsumas, 2 kiwi fruit, 3 apricots, 7 strawberries, 2 handfuls of raspberries, 1 handful of blackberries, 3 tablespoons of frozen summer fruits
Medium fruits: 1 apple, 1 banana, 1 pear, 1 orange,2 halves of canned peaches
Large fruits: half a grapefruit or a 2in slice of melon
Dried fruit: 1 tablespoon
Vegetables (frozen or fresh)
3 heaped tablespoons of cooked carrots, peas
or canned sweetcorn
5 spears fresh asparagus
half a pepper
1 corn on the cob
8 Brussels sprouts
2 whole canned plum tomatoes
1 medium fresh tomato
3 heaped tablespoons of canned beans or pulses
2in piece of cucumber
8 cauliflower florets
1 cereal bowl of mixed salad.
Do potatoes count?
No, they don’t. Although they are vegetables, the main nutrient in potatoes is carbohydrate (starch). We eat potatoes in place of other sources of carbohydrate/ starch, such as rice, pasta or bread, so this is why they don’t count towards our 5-a-day. Other root vegetables, such as parsnips, swedes and turnips, are usually eaten as well as the main starchy food in a meal, so they do count. As do sweet potatoes, which provide starch, but are also rich in vitamins A, C and E.
What about beans and pulses?
Yes, they count, but they can only be counted once, no matter how many portions you eat. This is because although they contain fibre, they don’t provide the same mixture of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients as fruit and vegetables.
Why does only one glass of fruit juice count?
You can’t get all your five a day in the form of fruit and veg juices, because juice contains very little fibre. Fruit squash doesn’t count at all.
