What counts as one of your five-a-day?

We’ve all heard the phrase ‘five-a-day’, and we should all be doing it too! However, just exactly what is five-a-day and what counts as one of your five-a-day? To find out everything you need to know, including information on the five-a-day campaign, continue reading our helpful guide below.

Five-a-day campaign

The five-a-day campaign is based on advice from the World Health Organisation (WHO). They recommend that everyone should eat a minimum of 400g of fruit and vegetables every day. The idea behind this is to lower the risk of serious health problems like stroke, heart disease and some cancers.

According to the National Health Service (NHS), there are various health benefits to consuming at least five pieces of fruit and veg every day. One portion of fruit or vegetables is classified as around 80g, so if you’re not hitting this mark daily, you should start to increase your fruit and vegetable intake for the benefit of your health.

Reasons for eating your five-a-day

There are plenty of reasons as to why you should start eating your five-a-day, every day. Here’s a breakdown of some of the best reasons:

• Fruit and vegetables are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, including folate, vitamin C and potassium.
• Eating five-a-day can help to reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and some forms of cancer.
• Fruit and vegetables contribute to a healthy, balanced diet.
• There’s so much variety in both food types, including delicious flavours.
• Fruit and veg are an excellent source of dietary fibre which helps to maintain a healthy gut. It also prevents constipation and digestion issues.

What counts as one of your five-a-day?

So, now you know about the five-a-day campaign and why it’s important for your health, you need to understand what counts as one of your five-a-day.

The NHS states that 80g of fresh, canned or frozen fruit and vegetables counts as one of your five-a-day, while 30g of dried fruit counts as one. They also note that dried fruit should be eaten during mealtimes and not as a snack in order to reduce the risk of tooth decay.

During the day, you should eat five portions of the above foods. You can mix and match different fruits and vegetables, or have two of the same. However, there are some things that can only be consumed once, such as fruit juice.

You should limit the amount of fruit juice, vegetable juice or smoothie to just 150ml per day. When fruit and vegetables are crushed into a juice it releases the sugars they contain and should only be consumed during meal times. 

Also, beans and pulses (dried seeds of legumes) only count towards one of your five-a-day, no matter how much you consume. Despite being a good source of fibre, these food types contain a lot less nutrients than fruit or vegetables.

So, precisely what counts towards your five-a-day?

• Fresh or frozen fruit and vegetables.
• Tinned or canned fruit and vegetables. Only consume ones that are stored in natural water or juice, with no added sugar or salt.
• Fruit and vegetables within ready meals and pasta sauces, soups and puddings.
• 30g of dried fruits, such as currants, sultanas and dates.

Fresh fruit and vegetables at The Veg Box Company

At The Veg Box Company, we take pride in everything we do. When you order Veg Boxes and Fruit Boxes from us, they will be delivered to your house within 24 hours of being picked. This provides incredible freshness for all of our products, helping you to hit your five-a-day, every day.

If you work in an office and would like to increase the fruit and vegetable intake of everyone you work with, then consider picking up our selection of office fruit.

If you’d like to find out more about what you can get from The Veg Box Company, including fruit, vegetables, potatoes, dairy products, and much more, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us on 01772 724406, or email us at hello@thevegboxcompany.co.uk.