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Five A Day
Five a day, every day. That's how many servings of fruit and veg we should all be eating for a healthy diet. Are you getting enough?
Do you eat loads of fruit and veg? Think you're getting enough? It's just as well to check.
On average in the UK, we consume less than three servings of fruit and vegetables a day, even though many of us would like to be having more. Think of 5 a day as a minimum, and eat more if you can.
Aim for seven a day for children aged 6-12, girls in their teens, active women and most men.
Teenage boys, and exceptionally active men should have nine a day
WHAT CONSITUTES A PORTION, OR SERVING?
The five a day message relates to servings of fruit and vegetables, and there are specific portion control sizes for these, based on World Health Organisation recommendations.
Think weight: 80g, after peeling/pipping/chopping.
Think size: often, the right-sized portion would fit in the palm of your hand.
Think quantity: a medium size piece of fruit, medium glass of 100% juice, 2 tbsp (1/2 cup) cooked or canned veg or fruit or cooked pulses, 1 cereal bowl (1 cup) raw leafy veg.
Fresh fruit and vegetables. Buy local, unpackaged, organic whenever you can. Wash thoroughly before eating. Remember that potatoes never count, because they are starchy foods.
Raw is best, but cooked is fine too. Fruit and veg in takeaways and ready meals do count, but beware of the way they've been cooked.
Frozen fruit and veg are fine and can have as many nutrients as fresh, and even more than fresh products that have been kept for a while.
Canned fruit and veg are also OK. Choose them with little or no added salt or sugar. Go for veg canned in water, not brine, fruit canned in natural juice, not syrup.
These also count, but only for one portion a day, no matter how much you have:Fruit juice: lacks fibre, and is sugary, so too much is bad for teeth and weightDried fruit like apricots or prunes. Dried or canned pulses, like beans, chick peas, lentils. High in fibre, but less good than fresh veg for minerals and vitamins.
MAKE SURE YOU GET FIVE A DAY
Not sure you're getting enough? Keep a food diary for a week, and note down what you have every day. Read this page from age-well.org to learn which have the most nutients fresh frozen or canned fruit and vegetables and make sure you are getting the best possiblenourishment from your five a day. Add vegetables to soups, salads, pizzas, sandwiches. There are lots of different ways you can include extra fresh fruit and vegetables easily, every day.
Go for a wide variety, and aim to average out at slightly more veg than fruit, because they are less sugary. Buy seasonal fruit and vegetables when you can. Look for lots of different colours, ideally choose something red, orange, yellow, green and blue or black every day. Don't stick to the same old selections. You need variety to get the overall full range of fibre, minerals and vitamins contained in fruit and veg. Keep the makings of your five a day where you can see them, at the front of the fridge. Have enough for the day in a big bowl on the table, but refrigerate the rest so as to keep the vitamin count high.
Go for a wide variety, and aim to average out at slightly more veg than fruit, because they are less sugary. Buy 