Fruit and vegetables are brimming with fibre,
plus a whole range of vitamins and minerals,
and because they're low in calories, they
make an important and healthy addition to
any diet.
Scientific
studies have shown that people who eat a lot of
fruit and vegetables may have a lower risk of
getting illnesses, such as heart disease and some
cancers. For this reason, health authorities recommend
that you eat at least five portions of fruit and
vegetables every day - and it doesn't matter whether
they're fresh, tinned, frozen, cooked, juiced
or dried.
How
much is a portion?
One piece
of medium-sized fruit - eg, an apple, peach,
banana or orange.
One slice of large
fruit, such as melon, mango or pineapple.
One handful of grapes
or two handfuls of cherries or berry fruits.
One tablespoon of dried
fruit.
A glass (roughly 100ml)
of fruit or vegetable juice.
A small tin (roughly
200g) of fruit.
A side salad.
A serving (roughly
100g) of vegetables - eg, frozen or mushy
peas, boiled carrots or stir-fried broccoli.
The vegetables served
in a portion of vegetable curry, lasagne,
stir-fry or casserole.
So
how does this advice translate to
real life? How do you make sure that
you get your five portions a day?
Here's some ideas:
Top
tip
Next time
you're shopping, buy one new fruit or vegetable
you've never tried before or didn't like
as a child. Tastes change and by exploring
new foods you'll be giving your tastebuds
a treat and doing your body a favour.
Glass
of pink grapefruit juice for breakfast =
1 portion.
Small
pack of dried apricots for mid-morning snack,
instead of a chocolate bar or bag of crisps
= 1 portion.
Side
salad with lunch = 1 portion.
Sugar
snap peas and asparagus, served with main
meal = 1 portion.
Strawberries
with dessert = 1 portion.
Top
tip
If
you're worried about whether you're getting
the right amount of nutrients from fruit
and vegetables, add some colour to your
life. Many nutritionists recommend eating
something green, something red and something
citrus every day to guarantee a good mix
of vitamins and minerals.
