Colleagues across dozens of businesses have been testing their knowledge on fruit and veg to see if they are ‘5 a day Geniuses’!
We uncovered plenty of myths so here’s a recap on the answers and key messages:
Which of these count towards your five a day?
Frozen berries, apple juice, sun dried tomatoes, asparagus, baked beans, lentil soup, sweet potatoes and canned grapefruit all count toward your 5 a day. That’s because fresh, frozen, dried and canned fruit and vegetables all count. Pulses like lentils count too.
However, potatoes, yam, plantain, and cassava do not contribute towards your five-a-day because they are starchy foods. But, sweet potatoes, parsnips and butternut squash do count!
We all know the magic number is 5 a day but how much counts? We tested your skills on these popular choices!
For most foods, a serving is 80g which is roughly a handful, or 30g of dried fruits, like apricots, dates, raisins.
The answers from the quiz are:
Peas - 3 tablespoons
Satsumas - 2 satsumas
Cherry tomatoes - 7
Avocado - Half
Variety is also important in veg and fruit choices. How many types of veg, fruit and other plants should we try to choose each week for optimal gut health?
Experts say to aim for 30 varieties a week as each type feeds different bacteria in our guts. We should also ‘eat a rainbow’ of different colours for overall health optimisation and protection too so try to include a different range daily – remember each colour of pepper counts separately, and how many different grains we can choose as part of the 30.
We should be aiming for more than 5 a day
This is both true and false. The UK 5 A Day campaign is based on advice from the World Health Organization (WHO), which recommends eating a minimum of 400g of fruit and vegetables a day to lower the risk of serious health problems, such as heart disease, stroke and some types of cancer. That works out as 5 x 80g portions. Some countries have a higher minimum recommendations (broken into smaller servings) and some studies have shown additional benefits of eating more, especially more vegetables.
These studies don’t go against the current “5 a day” message. This is a minimum recommended level. When it comes to fruit and vegetables, as long as you watch your calorie and sugar intake it is very much the case of “the more the merrier”.
Fruit juice and smoothies can provide all the 5 a day - False
About one in five of you thought this was true. A glass (150ml) of unsweetened 100% fruit, vegetable juice or smoothie does count as one portion. However, no matter how much you drink (for example more than 150ml), or how many varieties of fruit juice, it will still only count as one of your portions per day because the juicing process removes most of the fibre from the fruit.
Fruit juice is best consumed with meals - True
About half of you thought this was false, and it’s a common misconception. Crushing fruit into juice releases the sugars contained in the fruit. So to reduce the impact on teeth, enjoy a small glass at mealtimes. Plus, the vitamin C in orange juice will boost the absorption of iron in a meal.
We can take supplements instead to get the same benefits as eating veg and fruit - False
Don’t rely on supplements to get the vitamins and minerals your body needs unless you have been told to by a health professional, for example by a health visitor when you are planning a pregnancy. Supplements are not shown to reduce disease risk like veg and fruit do – the benefits are not replicated as we don’t get the “whole package” of beneficial nutrients from eating fruits & vegetables
Conclusion
By eating at least five portions of a variety of fruits and vegetables a day, you will not only look and feel better, but you will give your body many essential nutrients that it needs to maintain your overall long-term health.