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Aim for 5
We should all consume at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day but few of us reach this target, particularly children. The National Diet and Nutrition Survey 2000 reported that 1 in 5 children ate no fruit during the survey week.
Fruit and vegetables are an important part of the diet and provide:
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Vitamins and minerals Different coloured fruits and vegetables provide different nutrients so it is better to eat a variety of fruit and vegetables. |
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An excellent source of the antioxidant vitamins A, C and E and other plant compounds, which can help to reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers in later life. |
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Dietary fibre Fibre acts as a 'bulking agent' and helps maintain a healthy digestive tract. |
What Makes Five?
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Raw, frozen, canned, dried and cooked fruit and vegetables all count. |
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Fruit juice only counts once per day - however much is drunk. |
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Beans and pulses count, but only once a day. |
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Fruit and vegetable based-dishes (for example, fruit crumble, vegetable soup or curry, pizza) count, as long as they contain a good portion of fruit or vegetables. |
A portion can include raw, frozen, dried or canned fruit and vegetables, fruit juice and dried products. In fact some processed fruit and vegetables actually provide more vitamins than raw versions. For example, canned carrots are a better source of antioxidant vitamins than raw carrots.
Further examples of what counts and when they might be eaten:
| Apple |
(pie) |
| Sweetcorn |
(in tuna salad) |
| Banana |
(in a milk shake) |
| Handful of dried fruit |
(with ice cream) |
| Tinned tomatoes |
(in a pasta sauce) |
| Baked beans |
(on toast) |
| Frozen peas |
(with meal) |
| Sliced tomato |
(on a pizza) |
| Vegetable curry |
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| Strawberries |
(with yoghurt) |
Note: Potatoes and pastas are starchy foods and whilst they are valuable in a balanced diet, they do not 'count' as a vegetable portion.
What Is a Portion?
For young children, a child's handful can be used as a guide for a portion size of vegetables or fruit. However, school-aged children can quickly move on to adult-sized portions which are:
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2 tablespoons vegetables – raw, frozen or canned |
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small bowl of salad |
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medium piece of fruit e.g. orange, apple or banana |
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large slice of a large fruit such as pineapple, melon |
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1 tablespoon dried fruit |
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3 tablespoons stewed or canned fruit |
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small glass of fruit juice |
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