Fruit and vegetables are part of a balanced diet and can help us stay healthy. That’s why it’s so important that we get enough of them.
The recommended intake to gain the full health benefits is five 80g portions of fruit and vegetables every day. This will lower the risk of serious health problems, such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, some cancers and obesity. All fruit and vegetables count including fresh, frozen, canned, dried or pure juices.
Benefits of eating your 5 a day:
- Fruit and vegetables are a good source of vitamins and minerals, including folate, vitamin C and potassium.
- They’re an excellent source of dietary fibre, which helps maintain a healthy gut and prevent constipation and other digestion problems. A diet high in fibre can also reduce your risk of bowel cancer.
- Fruit and vegetables contribute to a balanced diet.
- Fruit and vegetables are also usually low in fat and calories so can help maintain a healthy weight.
There are plenty of ways to add more fruit and vegetables to your daily meals:
Breakfast:
- Add fruit to cereal, porridge or low-fat yoghurt. Try a handful of berries or a chopped banana.
- Add mushrooms or tomatoes to scrambled eggs.
- One glass (150ml) of unsweetened 100% fruit juice counts towards your 5 A DAY. Fruit or vegetable juice counts as a maximum of one portion a day.
Lunch:
- Add salad to your sandwiches with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber or grated carrots.
- Sticks of cucumber, peppers and carrots are delicious with dips such as salsa or low-fat cheese spread.
- Try adding chopped carrots to bolognese sauce, sprinkle chopped red peppers on your pasta, or mix vegetables such as peas into mashed potato to make it even more delicious.
Dinner:
- Have a salad or vegetable side dish with your main meal.
- Buy some frozen vegetables such as peas or peppers and put them in the microwave for a couple of minutes.
- Sprinkle mixed peppers or pineapple chunks on top of a thin-based pizza.