When you do your weekly shopping you can go to the supermarket or corner shop and be met with a vast array of different foods to choose from. With so much choice and so many nice tasting treats and quick and easy convenience foods fruit and vegetables can sometimes be overlooked and left out of your daily diet.  It is recommended that everyone should east at least 5 portions of fruit and veg each day (that's 5 portions altogether not each). If you don't already eat your 5 A DAY it can seem like a lot and you'll probably wonder how you can fit it all in or, you may wonder why it is so important to have your 5 A DAY and how it will benefit you.  Read on to find the answers to these questions and more...

Why Should I Eat 5 A DAY?

If you currently don't eat anywhere near 5 portions a day it can seem like a lot but as you will see below it is very easy to fit your 5 A DAY into your daily diet and there are some very good reasons to start today:

Fruit and vegetables are packed with vitamins and minerals They can help you maintain a healthy weight. Fruit and vegetables are an excellent source of fibre and antioxidants. They can help reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and some cancers.

So What Counts...?

Almost all fruit and vegetables count towards your 5 A DAY and the wider the variety you eat the better!  The following all count towards your 5 A DAY:

Dried fruit and vegetables 100% juice and smoothies Fresh, frozen, chilled and canned fruit and veg. Even fruit and vegetables found in convenience foods like ready meals, pasta sauces, soups and puddings count (however these foods can be high in salt, sugar and fat and should be eaten in moderation!) Vegetables in soups, stews and sandwiches.

...And What Doesn't?

You may think you are already getting your 5 A DAY, but are you making the right choices? The following don't count towards your 5 A DAY:

Potatoes and other similar vegetables like yams and cassava as they are classed as starchy foods. Dietary supplements like vitamins and minerals.

Get Your Portions Right

So we now know we should be eating 5 portions of fruit and veg a day and we know what we can and can't count, but what is a portion? Obviously, if you eat 5 grapes you can't count that as your 5 A DAY remember, you need to keep it varied and get your portions right.  

The following all count as 1 portion of fruit or veg and so are 1 of your 5 A DAY:

• 2 brocoli spears
• 3 sticks of celery
• 3 heaped tablespoons of baked beans
• 1 medium tomato or 7 cherry tomatos
• 1 500ml glass of 100% fruit or vegetable juice or smootie (only count 1 a day)
• 2 plums
• 7 strawberries
• 1 large slice of pineapple
• 1 tablespoon of raisins, currants or sultanas
• 6 tinned apricot halves or 2 tinned pear or peach halves

Find out more at www.5aday.nhs.uk where you can learn top tips, find new receipes and join in with the fun and games.