A Mini Guide to your 5 A Day
We’ve all heard how important it is to eat lots of fruits and vegetables, and some of you may even be familiar with the ‘Five a Day’ campaign. Have you ever thought of why this is and how it can be achieved in your day-to-day life?
This blog post will outline the main benefits of increasing your fruit and veg intake as well as provide you with some practical tips on how you can add to your diet to do so.
Why do we need to eat fruits and vegetables?
Besides tasting great, fruit and vegetables are extremely varied and versatile and can be a delicious and simple way to increase the diversity of our diet. They are loaded with essential vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals (beneficial compounds in plant foods) and fibre making them vital for optimal health.
Eating a variety of fruit and veggies can also nourish our gut microbes, improving overall gut health. A diet rich in fruit and vegetables can help you feel your best as well as ultimately protect against disease.
Studies have shown us that eating an abundance of fruit and veggies lowers the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke (1).
Moreover, the fibre present in fruit and veg helps in maintaining a healthy gut and preventing constipation. High fibre diets are also associated with a reduced risk of bowel cancer (2). If you haven’t been convinced already, eating fruit and veggies also improves both your eye and bone health in the long run!
All of the following are examples of foods which can contribute to the ‘Five a Day’ goal (3):
Frozen fruit and vegetables
Tinned or canned fruit or vegetables (recommended in natural juice or water, without added salt or sugar)
Fresh fruit and vegetables as snacks or eaten with meals
Dried fruits such as dates, figs or raisins (recommended to be eaten at meal times to reduce impact on teeth)
Juices & smoothies: only count once a day
Pulses & beans: only count once a day
Starchy veggies such as potatoes, yams, cassava and plantain do not count as part of your 5 a day but this does not mean to discredit these foods as they are excellent sources of energy, fibre, potassium and B vitamins.
What does one portion look like?
Whilst we know that how much you eat can be determined by many things including your appetite, hunger & fullness cues, activity levels and more, when it comes to the Five a Day goal, what is one portion of those five?
Well, one portion of fruits and veggies is around 80 grams which could look like any of the following (4):
One banana, orange, apple or pear
Half a grapefruit or avocado
A slice of large fruit such as melon or pineapple
Two handfuls of blueberries or raspberries
Three heaped tablespoons of any vegetables (these can be raw, cooked, frozen or tinned)
Three heaped tablespoons of any pulse such as beans and lentils
One cereal bowl of lettuce or spinach or other leafy greens
One heaped tablespoon of raisins or one large date
Easy ways to increase your intake
There is such a large variety of fruit and vegetables available, so achieving your ‘5 a day’ target may be simpler than you think.
Here are some suggestions to help increase your fruit and veg intake:
Check out what is in season – produce in season tends to taste the best and usually has the best value for money
Explore the produce aisle at the grocery store or market and try out something new
Eat the rainbow – variety is important to ensure that you are getting all of the different combinations of vitamins and minerals fruit and vegetables have to offer
Try out new recipes – this is both an exciting and delicious way to introduce more fruit and vegetables into your diet
Keep your freezer and cupboards well stocked – this makes sure that you always have convenient sources of fruit and vegetables at hand when cooking
Keep produce where you can see it, this way you will be more likely to reach for fruit and vegetables for a convenient snack
The many health benefits of eating a variety of fruit and veg make increasing your consumption a practical and simple step towards improving our overall health. For more information and an exciting recipe packed with fruit and veg, check out this post and many more on the blog as well!
If you would like further 1:1 support on your journey please get in touch to book a consultation or 10 minute discovery call.
For further reading, you can check out this article on 5 a day on the NHS website.