Why do we need five a day?

The figure is not plucked from thin air but is based on advice from the World Health Organisation (WHO), which told us in 1991 that people who eat “five a day” appear to have a lower incidence of heart disease, some cancers and other health problems.

Is five a day enough?

Five a day is the minimum amount suggested by the WHO. In the US the health authorities say that people should aim for nine servings each day to reap the full benefits. If we measure ourselves against this target we really need to raise our game.

What is a portion anyway?

Again, this was decided by the WHO. It said that a reasonable size for a portion is 80g so that in total, over the whole day, you get 400g of fruit and vegetables.

A normal-sized apple, orange, pear, peach or banana is 80g; or two small fruits such as satsumas and apricots; or one slice of melon, pineapple or papaya, two slices of mango or a tablespoon of dried fruit.

As for vegetables, it is three heaped tablespoons of veg such as courgettes and carrots and pulses such as peas, and four heaped tablespoons of “greens” such as cabbage, spinach and green beans. A 150ml glass of vegetable juice also counts.

Is variety important?

Yes, it is very important. First, aim for a “three vegetable-two fruits” split if you can. Then — however “super” we are told that things such as broccoli, watercress and blueberries are — try to mix and match lots of different types of vegetables and fruits rather than sticking with just a few with which you are familiar. This will help to ensure that you eat a wide variety of vitamins, minerals and supernutrients. Fresh, frozen and canned all count, although it is best when opting for the latter to go for those not canned in salted water or syrup.

Do fruit juices and smoothies count?

Yes, but a 160ml serving counts as one portion. Having bigger servings does not count as two or three. Fruit that has been liquidised and pasteurised, or ultra-heat-treated, to make into juices and smoothies, is not the same as the fresh whole version. If nothing else, the sugars in the fruit become liberated as cell walls are broken down in the processing so that it is absorbed and digested more rapidly.

Also, liquid fruit will not keep you feeling as full as whole fruits. That said, a 160ml serving can be a practical and tasty way to get one of your five in.

What doesn’t count?

Potatoes, while obviously a vegetable in the botanical sense, are classed as a starchy food by the nutritionists who set the rules, so do not count towards your five a day. Fruit-based jams, little bits of apricot on top of a Danish pastry, blueberries in a muffin and fruit squashes and cordials do not count either.

Cheats’ ways of getting your portions in Grate apples or pears and mix them into your breakfast cereal; opt for vegetable-filled soups such as minestrone at lunchtime and slip grated carrots into dishes such as Bolognese sauce or shepherd’s pie that you are making for dinner. Add extra peppers, onions and mushrooms on top of a tomato and cheese pizza you grab from the freezer, whip up vegetable-packed stir-fries (frozen packets of stir-fry vegetables are fine), and go for puddings such as poached plums or apricots with fromage frais, barbecued or grilled bananas or even a simple baked apple with a small blob of ice cream.

A decent handful of crudités served with healthy yoghurt-based dips such as tzatziki, a small bowl of olives (about 15 in total) and even a tomato juice in a Virgin Mary before dinner also all count individually as a portion. None of these feel as if you are forcing portions down for the sake of it, but are enjoyable ways to surreptitiously lift your daily fruit and vegetable quotas.

Join the Times Health Club free, and take part in the challenge of the month to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables each day, at www.timesonline.co.uk/healthclub

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