Fruit and vegetables
Fruit and vegetables are an essential part of a healthy diet. In general, the more you can eat the better.
Three reasons why you should eat fruit and vegetables
- They provide fibre, many important vitamins and minerals
- They are generally low in calories and fat.
- They are essential for good health
What counts?
- Fresh, local and in season fruit and vegetables are best and can be very good value.
- Eat a variety of different colours – green, yellow, orange, red and purple – to benefit from the variety of vitamins and minerals they provide.
- Frozen, tinned, dried, juices and smoothies also count towards your five a day.
- Limit fruit juice or smoothies to one small glass a day.
How much should I eat?
Aim to eat five or more portions a day.
How much is a portion of fruit and vegetables
- 1 apple, banana, pear, orange or other similar sized fruit
- 30g dried fruit
- 150ml glass of fruit juice or smoothie (counts as a maximum of one portion a day)
- 1 dessert bowl of salad
- 3 heaped tablespoons of vegetables (raw, cooked, frozen or tinned)
Five easy ways to eat five or more a day!
Breakfast
- Sprinkle cereal with chopped fruit
- Enjoy a small (150ml) glass of unsweetened fruit juice (remember only counts as one of 5-a-day)
- Top wholemeal toast with a banana
Lunch
- Add crunch to sandwiches with veggies
- Finish off lunch with a piece of fruit
- Salads make a nice alternative to sandwiches for lunch
- Homemade vegetable soup makes a hearty lunch and is great for the weekends
Dinner
- Add extra veggies to stews, sauces, stir-fries, casseroles, omelettes and curries – fresh, frozen, dried and tinned all count
- Try adding fruit to yoghurt for dessert
- Serve two or three different vegetables with dinner
Snacks
- Fruit and vegetables make a great snack
- Vegetable sticks and a nutritious dip are very tasty – choose –choose hummus or cream cheese
Eating out
- Order a side of vegetables or salad
- Add an extra ingredient, for example ask for extra mushrooms on your pizza
- Order a smaller portion of an adult meal for children – these are more likely to contain vegetables.
