Article by Marie Donnellan, ANutr
It’s that time of year again, where we are all encouraged to reflect on our lives and indeed our lifestyles and seek to make changes and improvements. Always much easier said than done, as we all know!
In this month’s article, we look at just making one change, around eating our 5 a day of fruit and vegetables. We talk through why this one change can be very beneficial, what counts as a portion and most importantly how we can start to add in fruit/vegetables to get to our 5 a day.
On average, those included in the Healthy Ireland Survey 2024 reported eating 2.5 portions of fruit and vegetables each day (1).
Why eat 5 a day?
The latest Healthy Ireland Report outlines that only 28% of the population eat 5 or more portions of fruit and vegetables each day, a number which unfortunately has continued to decline since 2021 (1).
Eating fruit and vegetables is advised within all the dietary guidelines, due to the health benefits that they confer. They are high in dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals, including bioactive plant compounds, with antioxidant properties such as polyphenols or beta-carotene. They can also be high in water with a low energy content and therefore beneficial for those managing their weight (2).
Research shows that eating a diet with a variety of lots of fruit and vegetables is linked with (2):
- a lower risk of premature deaths like cardiovascular diseases, such as coronary heart disease and stroke, and certain cancers.
- a lower risk of dementia, certain eye diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, depression, pancreatic diseases and hip fractures.
What counts towards my 5 a day?
While most of us know the importance of having more of fruit and vegetables on our plate, there is still lots of confusion around what counts towards your 5 a day.
The recommendation to eat 5 a day comes from the World Health Organisations (WHO) advice of eating at least 400 g of fruits and vegetables per day, excluding potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava and other starchy roots (3).
It’s important to note that almost all fruits and vegetables count towards your recommended daily amount. However, a portion of fruit juice (150ml), vegetable juice or a smoothie, a portion of pulses and beans (80g), and a portion of dried fruit (30g), only counts once per day (2).
What does a portion look like?
While we are all encouraged to strive for 5 or more portions of fruit and vegetables, many of us are confused as to what a portion actually looks like!
A handy way to understand this is:
For fruit, think of the amount your hand can hold. E.g. a portion is equal to an apple or a banana, two satsumas, a handful of berries, or one or two slices of mango or melon.
For vegetables, think of a 200ml disposable cup. A portion of vegetables is equal to ½ cup of carrots, parsnip, turnip, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, leeks, peppers mushroom, asparagus, mangetout, cabbage, kale, brussels sprouts, courgette, aubergine or peas (4).
How can I get 5 a day in?
Sometimes getting our 5 a day in can be easier than we think!
However, it’s not without some effort and we do need to make a conscious decision when shopping to ensure that we buy a variety of fruit and vegetables.
Remember that the evidence does not support that organic fruits and vegetables are more nutritious compared to conventional varieties. Frozen and tinned can be nutritious options, as well as being convenient, cheaper, less waste and provides greater variety year-round. When choosing frozen and tinned options, choose ones that don’t have added salt or sugar (2).
Taking an “add” mindset with fruit and vegetables, in that what can we “add” to or “include” in our plate at each meal, there are lots of ways we can easily increase our intake.
Lets try to keep it simple….
Having a portion of fruit at breakfast, lunch, as a snack and two at dinner means 5 a day is easier that we think to achieve.
The evidence is clear in the benefits of increasing our intake of fruit and vegetables. Amid all the noise on social media around fruit and vegetables, keep it simple.
Try an “add” approach with each meal, adding colour and variety with fruit and vegetables. Fresh and frozen are great options, so work with whichever works for you.
Remember no single fruit or vegetable is responsible for good health. All support good health and provide different nutrients. Eating a variety of type and colour, provides a diversity of different nutrients that our body will benefit from.
References
- Healthy Ireland Survey 2024 Summary Report. rep. Department of Health. Available at: https://www.gov.ie/pdf/?file=https://assets.gov.ie/313378/4ea7ec06-47e4-40b6-b8a9-c92984d9022e.pdf#page=null
- The benefits of fruits and vegetables (no date) Eufic. Available at: https://www.eufic.org/en/healthy-living/article/the-benefits-of-fruits-and-vegetables.
- Healthy diet, World Health Organization. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/healthy-diet
- Healthy eating, food safety and food legislation (2019) Food Safety Authority of Ireland. Available at: https://www.fsai.ie/publications/healthy-eating-food-safety-and-food-legislation
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