Getting Your Five-A-Day: What Counts?
But how much constitutes a "portion" and what exactly counts?
Here's your easy guide to the five-a-day recommendation:
How Big Is A Portion?
One portion is defined as:
- 80g (3oz) of fresh fruit or vegetables
- One tablespoon of dried fruit
- 150ml (5 fluid oz) of pure fruit juice
Of course, most of us don't want to weigh out every morsal, so here are the rough portion sizes for a few common fruits and veggies:
Fruits
- One medium sized apple, banana, pear or orange
- Two small satsumas, kiwi fruit, plums or figs
- Seven strawberries
(See also fruit portion sizes table from the 5 A Day website)
Vegetables
- One medium sized tomato
- Three heaped tablespoons of peas, carrots, or sweetcorn
- Three heaped tablespoons of beans or pulses
(See also vegetable portions sizes table from the 5 A Day website.)
Children aged five and above should eat five portions per day of different fruits and vegetables, but the portion sizes can be slightly smaller.
What Counts?
Fresh, Frozen, Dried and Canned All Count
You don't have to eat fresh fruit and veggies - dried, frozen and canned ones count in just the same way. In some cases, frozen produce contains more vitamins than fresh, as it's frozen straight after being harvested.
Juice and Beans Only Count Once A Day
However much fresh juice you drink, it only counts as one portion per day. This is mainly because it contains very little fiber, meaning it isn't as beneficial as whole fruit.
The same goes for beans and pulses - you can only count them as one portion. This is because they don't contain the same range of nutrients as fruits and vegetables, so you can't get all five of your portions from baked beans!
Potatoes Don't Count
One common misconception is that potatoes count towards your five-a-day. They don't: they're classed as a starchy food. (Yams and cassava also don't count.)
How Are You Doing?
Did the above information contain any surprises? Do you manage to get five-a-day? Have you been mistakenly counting five glasses of juice? Or have you been discounting dried fruit or tinned veggies because you thought they didn't count?
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Ok, so fruits and vegetables are one thing.... although come to think of it I swear American bananas are about 30% bigger than the average banana you'd buy in a South African supermarket.
I just wanted to add that you have to also be aware of the sizes of the implements you use to measure. If I could find a way to I'd post a picture here of the difference in sizes between a South African teaspoon vs an American one. The American one is about the size of the South African tablespoon! I could also post a picture of the difference between the average bowl in SA vs the USA.... the USA one must be practically twice the size!
ReplyI'm sorry, but Governments around the world also agree that we have to "do something" about the scam known as global warming. Why do you guys always talk about the Government?
ReplyI know this is a diet blog, not a politics or weather blog, but given that someone else thought fit to bring this up, I just had to respond.
ReplyHow are we not supposed to pay attention to what the government does? We live in a civilized society for a reason, and it is because we expect guidance from those people we elect to be our representatives, and who are fortunate enough to have the resources to explore an issue few single people could understand on their own. You are free to withdraw from society if you would like, but don't eschew the rest of us our government.
And what is this idea that global warming or nutritional guidance is a "scam"? Do you really think there could be global concensus on a scam? And even if you do believe that, what does it hurt you for the rest of us to be concerned about our health and well-being?
The very idea that you don't believe consensus could be reached based on false data is...wow. Just ridiculous. Politics of global warming aside (and it IS political, not scientific as there is NOT consensus anywhere but in the media) I could take the rest of the day making a list of things that were globally recognized as true only to be found out to be false or made up of total fakery later.
ESPECIALLY in the world of food and fitness.
ReplyI don't understand how you can say the only consensus is in the media - especially as long as Fox News still exists. The only consensus on global warming is amongst scientists. There may be people who claim to have a science background, but do not, who don't believe in global warming. But there is no legitimate scientist who says that it does not exist. It's like claiming gravity doesn't exist or that the earth is actually flat.
ReplyI think his point was that the government doesn't always have the best information to pass on to us. So if you ARE concerned about your health and well-being, maybe the government isn't the first source of information you should consult.
Consider the emphasis on low-fat, high carb eating in the US food pyramid despite demonstrable evidence that this is not the healthiest way to eat and it does not promote longevity.
Consider the farm subsidies the US government promotes, which allows big agribusiness an even bigger advantage over small farms and makes cheap garbage food that more prevalent in our society.
Consider the actions of the FDA -- they drag their feet approving medical devices and drugs allowed in other countries but they approve other drugs that kill or disable patients. How many times have they had to rescind their approval?
Feel free to be a civilized sheep if you choose, but don't be surprised if there are a few out there who aren't buying what the gubmint is selling.
Also, I don't think eschew means what you think it means.
Reply"Eschew" means to shun, escape, or keep away from.
Reply1) Not everyone is afraid of a pro-active government.
Reply2) Where is your evidence that global warming is a "scam," because plenty of what I've read indicates that even if some people exaggerate the problem, it is there.
3) [Though this has nothing to do with the article itself.] Unless you want to put your mouth on an exhaust pipe from a car or factory, why is trying to change things such a bad plan?
what is a "pulse?"... couldn't find it at dictionary.com. British word for legumes???
ReplyHey Milemom,
ReplyYes, a pulse is the British name for legume. They include peas, beans, lentils and peanuts. Hope that helps!
Besides the scam of global warming, I also don't understand where people are getting the idea that the earth is round. Common sense, folks!
In all seriousness, I think we should be getting 5 a day of veggies, with a few fruits. I can easily eat 5 citrus or peaches and stone fruits a day, but the veggies are the powerhouses.
ReplyI agree Julie...about common sense and veggies! I have to force most fruits down, but I can eat mounds and mounds of veggies...not five a day, five in one sitting! Fruits do contain important minerals, vitamins, and enzymes - I just don't have a sweet tooth...with the exception of Oregon blackberries!
ReplyI easily blow away the required 5 a day because I'm such a big fruit lover. I bring usually 4 apples to work to munch on during the day, sometimes subsituting a banana for one of the apples, I'll eat grapes and pineapple as snacks in the eveings. This, in addition to the bag of salad I'll eat for lunch at work and the veggies served at dinner.
The only problem I'm having is with portion control. Fruit may be great and a much better choice than junk food, but too much of it isn't good either, in a caloric sense. During the evening, I'll mindlessly eat grapes and pineapple as I'm a notorious muncher. I've thought about trading the fruits for veggies but I can't get excited about eating a carrot stick or some celery, and I've already by this time met or exceeded my daily recommended intake. I'd rather eat something with some flavour.
ReplyI am glad you posted this. I have a cousin that LOVES fruit. When she was younger, it was non-stop & she managed to pack on some pounds by eating way too many fruits. Even a good food, in excess, can put on pounds.
ReplyDefinitely.
I do think they should separated fruits and veggies though. 5 fruits are not enough. Need vegetables!
ReplyI was never a big fruit lover, so to make my fruits (apples and fresh pears especially) more enticing, I usually put a thin slice of ultra-low fat cheese on each piece, just enough to give it a boost of flavour and texture. Vegetables I love so no tricks needed!
ReplyI was surprised by the yam comment. I love yams/sweet potatoes so this will not stop me from eating them! I seem to be doing good with getting my veggies/fruits in but I do tend to eat more than 1 serving at a sitting rather than multiple portions thru the day. It is just what works for me.
ReplyI easily get probably 10+ servings of veggies/fruits a day. I eat veggies to fill up so I don't eat too much crap the rest of the day. What really amazes me is that, considering that you only need 1 tomato or 7 strawberries to constitute a serving of veggies, people still aren't getting 5 servings a day. I think I'd be starving all the time if I didn't eat lots of fruits and veggies...either that, or I'd eat like the rest of America and fill up on mac and cheese, pizza, brownies, barbecued ribs, beer, and brats.
Replyno kidding! I probably eat more than 5 servings in my lunch salad.
ReplyI honestly hadn't considered dried fruits...I take a veggie supplement but also generally have greens for lunch. Good article!
ReplyIt's good to be reminded what actually constitutes a "serving." I think people get intimidated by the notion of getting five servings per day because we have a tendency to think of a "portion" as larger than it actually is (we do this in general, in present times). The recommended portions are very manageable.
I wonder: Are there any recommendations as to spacing the portions out throughout the day, or if you were to eat all five portions (in theory) in one sitting would that suffice for the day? I am just curious if the body can assimilate all of the nutrients at one time or if it needs to do so in smaller doses.
ReplyInterestingly, there is actually a pretty substantial difference between yams and sweet potatoes - both botanically and nutritionally. I only discovered this when my son first started on solid foods and I just figured they were one-in-the same.
They aren't even in the same family. Yams are from the lily family while sweet potatoes are in the morning glory family.
Yams: Sweeter, moister, denser and more orange.
Aweet potatoes contain significantly higher amounts of calcium, iron, and vitamin E, and they twice as much protein per serving. The yam does have a more favourable omega-3 to omega-6 ratio.
Both have low glycemic indexes.
Insofar as whether it should count as part of the 5 a day? I think you could at least make an argument for the sweet potatoe. With such a great nutrient profile, it would be difficult not to. I think as long as you diversify and include leafy greens and other colourful and cruciferous veggies you are doing well. If fat loss is the goal and you are really looking to be calorically-aware, could be a different story, but still sweet potatoes can be included in a fat loss program.
Sweet potatoe pie and yam fries on the other hand...notsomuch.
ReplyAh, but you can make 'oven baked homemade yam fries'. Mmmm. I slice up yams french fry style and toss them with a tiny bit of olive oil and sea salt and bake them till crispy. Delicious! Just pay attention to portion size though. While they are good for you, the calories still add up. :)
ReplyI usually eat 1-2 servings of fruit every day, but about 7+ of vegetables.
Reply