How to Achieve Your 5-A-Day
Are we reaching our 5-a-day?
According to recent data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (1), only 33% of adults aged 19-64 years old and 35% of adults aged 65 years and over in the UK, consume the recommended 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
Why do we need to eat fruit and vegetables?
Fruit and vegetables are so important as they provide us with vitamins and minerals. They are a good source of fibre, which helps keep us fuller for longer, maintain a healthy gut, and reduces the risk of constipation. Consuming fruit and vegetables also helps to reduce the risk of health conditions such as heart disease, stroke, and certain types of cancer.
Why are we not hitting our target?
This could be due to a number of different reasons. There are many common misconceptions about fruit and vegetables such as fruit and vegetables being expensive, they take a long time to prepare, the sugar in them is bad for you and they’re boring. However, this is not necessarily the case!
Here are 10 ways to increase your fruit and vegetable intake:
Try buying frozen or canned
They are just as nutritious as fresh and last much longer. They tend to be cheaper too! This will save you having to pop to the shops frequently to buy fresh fruit and vegetables, and helps to reduce waste. With canned fruit and vegetables, make sure the fruit are in their own juices and not syrup, and vegetables are in water, not brine. Remember one portion of fruit and vegetables is 80g.
2. Soups and stews
These are a great way to pack in those extra vegetables such as sweet potato, carrots, onions and butternut squash.
3. Fruit and veggie sticks
Cutting up fruit and veggie sticks in advance can be done in minutes and it means there will be a healthy snack to reach for in the fridge when you are in a rush. Planning your snacks can help resist temptations.
4. Dried Fruit
Dried fruit such as raisins and currants also counts. Remember that due to their higher sugar content, stick to a small handful (30g) for a portion. Try to have dried fruit at mealtimes to reduce damage to your teeth.
5. Add vegetables to meals
Try adding vegetables to meals like courgettes, tomatoes and spinach, such as in pasta sauces, curries and omelettes.
6. Salads
Try adding salads to your meals, although these might be enjoyed more in the warmer months. For those winter months, try making a roasted vegetable salad, for example, with roasted carrots, butternut squash or peppers.
7. Add a portion of fruit to your breakfast
Whether you are a porridge person or peanut butter on toast person, or any type of breakfast person really, you can add a portion of fruit to your breakfast such as berries, banana or apple.
8. Beans, pulses and lentils
Remember that a portion of beans, pulses and lentils also counts towards one of your 5-a-day. Although they are a good source of fibre, they do not contain as many nutrients as other fruit and vegetables, so they count once as part of your 5-a-day, regardless of how many you eat.
9. Fresh, unsweetened fruit juice, vegetable juice or smoothie
They do count, however, stick to a limit of one, small glass a day (150ml). This is because when fruit and vegetables are pressed, the sugar is released, so the sugar is counted as free sugars. This is the type of sugar we should be cutting down on. Therefore, you don’t need to aim for this everyday. Remember, you can achieve your 5-a-day from other sources in the diet too.
10. Sweet potato, parsnips, turnips and swedes
Although in the UK a lot of our vitamin C intake comes from potatoes, they do not count as 1 of our 5-a-day. Potatoes belong to the potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates food group. Yams, cassava and plantain also do not count. However, sweet potato, parsnips, turnips and swedes do count.
This blog is aimed at adults
This blog is intended for information only
The advice given is generic advice for supporting a healthy diet and lifestyle. For specific medical conditions please seek advice from your GP.
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