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Five a Day

Why do I need to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables every day?

Steve Bessant, Qualified Nutritionalist and Director of fitness company, Integro Exercise and Lifestyle offers the following advice.

• Eating at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables a day can help to significantly reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and some cancers.

What does 5 portions actually mean and where can I get them?

• Fruit and vegetables come in different shapes and sizes so it is important to know what actually constitutes a portion. Is it five apples, five grapes, five onions or five watermelons?

• Actually, the answer is quite simple. You can get a portion in a variety of different ways. Fruit juice, dried fruit or fresh fruit and vegetables can all be used to make up the five portions a day. Potatoes, on the other hand, cannot be used as a portion.

• Most fruit and vegetables have a different job to do in keeping the body healthy and warding off illness so five glasses of fruit juice a day is not good enough! It is important to get as much variety as possible into your five portions including plenty of above ground vegetables.

• One piece of medium sized fruit ­ an apple, a banana or an orange or, if you can imagine what the equivalent would be, this amount in fruit salad

• Two or so smaller fruits such as plums or a handful of even smaller fruit such as grapes or cherries

• A glass of fruit juice is also a portion. (freshly squeezed is preferred)

• A small handful of dried fruit

• Two or three tablespoons of veggies in any shape or form

• A generous side salad

• A couple of tablespoons of beans or pulses such as lentils ­
BUT ­ this can only make up one portion of fruit and veggies in any day