NANHE BABOSA SAYS

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Getting your 5 A DAY is easy. There are plenty of ways to add more fruit and vegetables to your daily meals.

Here are some ideas to get you started.

5 A DAY at breakfast

• Add fruit to cereal, porridge or lower-fat natural yoghurt. Try a handful of berries or a chopped banana.
• Add grilled mushrooms or tomatoes to scrambled eggs.
• One glass (150ml) of unsweetened 100% fruit/vegetable juice or smoothie combined counts as a maximum of one portion of your 5 A DAY.

5 A DAY at lunch

• Add some crunch to your sandwiches with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber or grated carrots.
• Sticks of cucumber, peppers and carrot, and cauliflower or broccoli florets are delicious with dips such as salsa or lower-fat cheese spread.
• Add fruit and veg to your favourite meals. Try adding chopped carrots to bolognese sauce, sprinkle chopped red peppers on your pasta, or mix veg such as peas into mashed potato to make it even tastier. Add tomatoes to your omelette or mushrooms to your next stir-fry.
• Add beans, lentils and pulses to stews, soups, bakes and salads. However much you eat, beans and pulses count as a maximum of one portion a day.

5 A DAY at dinner

• Have a salad or vegetable side dish with your main meal. If you're having shepherd's pie, have some peas, too. If you're having a roast dinner, add some carrots or broccoli to your plate.
• Frozen fruit and veg count towards your 5 A DAY. It only takes a couple of minutes to microwave some frozen peas, mixed vegetables or mini corn on the cob.
• Canned fruit and veg also count. It's healthier to choose fruit canned in juice rather than sugary syrup, and veg canned in water without added salt or sugar.
• It's easy to add fresh, frozen or canned fruit and veg to meals. Sprinkle sweetcorn or pineapple chunks on top of a thin-based pizza, or liven up soups and sauces with a handful of kidney beans, peas or sweetcorn.
• Try making or choosing tomato or vegetable-based sauces as these are usually lower in fat than cream or cheese-based sauces.

Snacks and your 5 A DAY

• Swap sugary snacks, such as biscuits, for a piece of fruit. 

Why 5 A DAY?

Fruit and vegetables are part of a healthy, balanced diet and can help us stay healthy. It's important that we eat enough of them.

Evidence shows there are significant health benefits to getting at least five 80g portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. That's five portions of fruit and veg in total, not five portions of each.

The 5 A DAY campaign is based on advice from the World Health Organization, which recommends eating a minimum of 400g of fruit and vegetables a day to lower the risk of serious health problems, such as heart diseases , stroke and some cancers.

Five reasons to eat five portions of fruit and veg

• Fruit and vegetables are a good source of vitamins and minerals, including folate, vitamin C and potassium.
• They're an excellent source of dietary fibre, which can help to maintain a healthy gut and prevent constipation and other digestion problems. A diet high in fibre can also reduce your risk of bowel cancer.
• They can help to reduce your risk of heart diseses, stroke and some cancers.
• Fruit and vegetables contribute to a healthy balanced diet.
• Fruit and vegetables taste delicious and there's so much variety to choose from.

Fruit and vegetables are also usually low in fat and calories (provided you don't fry them or roast them in lots of oil). That's why eating them can help you maintain a healthy weight and keep your heart healthy.

To get the most out of your 5 A DAY, your five portions should include a variety of fruit and vegetables. This is because different fruits and vegetables contain different combinations of fibre, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.

Almost all fruit and vegetables count towards your 5 A DAY. They can be fresh, frozen, canned, dried or juiced. Potatoes, yams and cassava don't count, because they mainly contribute starch to the diet.