The five a day message relates to fruit and vegetable servings sizes. Aim to have
a minimum of five of these a day, to get the full health benefits.
Although you can use a rough estimate of portion size, if you're keen on precision you could
follow these specific quantities for different items, based on World Health
Organisation recommendations for fruit and vegetable servings sizes. If you're feeding children under 10, quantities are
smaller.
VEGETABLE SERVINGS: SIZES
Asparagus, canned 7 spears
Asparagus, fresh 5 spears
Avocado Half
Aubergine One-third of a large one
Baby sweetcorn 6
Baked beans 3 tbsp (1/2 cup)
Broad beans 3 heaped tbsp (1/2 cup)
Broccoli 2 large florets
Brussels sprouts 8
Cabbage 3 heaped tbsp shredded, (1/2 cup)
Carrots 1 large
Celery 3 sticks
Cherry tomatoes 7
Chickpeas See Pulses
Courgette Half a large one
Curly kale 4 tbsp (1/2 cup)
Eggplant One-third of a large one
French beans 4 heaped tbsp (1/2 cup)
Kidney beans See Pulses
Lentils See pulses
Mixed salad Cereal bowl full (1 cup)
Mushrooms, button 14
Onion 1 medium
Parsnip 1 large
Peas, fresh, frozen or canned 3 heaped tbsp (1/2 cup)
Potatoes Never count towards your daily vegetable servings, in any form