5 A Day - What Counts

Almost all fruit and vegetables count towards your 5 A DAY. What's more there's no limit to how much you can consume - so the more you eat, the better. It's also good to know that you should eat a variety of fruit and vegetables to get the maximum nutritional benefits. This is because they each contain different combinations of fibre, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Besides, eating the same ones every day would be boring.

You probably won't have to dramatically change your diet to reach the recommended amount of fruit and veg you should eat. From takeaways to ready meals, fruit and vegetables can be found in many things you eat, you just need to know where to look.

Have a look at the following guidelines and you'll soon be on your way to 5 A DAY:

  Fresh, frozen, chilled, canned, 100% juice and smoothies all count, as do dried fruit and vegetables

  Fruit and vegetables don't have to be eaten on their own to count. You can also include any vegetables found in soups, stews, sandwiches and other dishes

  Fruit and vegetables contained in convenience foods like ready meals, pasta sauces, soups and puddings, also contribute to your 5 A DAY. However, these ready-made foods can be high in salt, sugar and fat, which should only ever be eaten in moderation, so it's important to check the nutrition information on the labels and packaging

  Dietary supplements like vitamins and minerals do not count towards 5 A DAY. This is because many dietary supplements don't have the same nutritional benefits as fruit and vegetables

  Potatoes and other related vegetables such as yams and cassava do not count. This is because they are classified as starchy foods

Portion sizes

The guide below will give you an indication of what a portion size should be, what counts and what doesn’t.

(These portion sizes are for adults. Children under five should also eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables a day, but the sizes may be smaller.)

Portion guide tables

  Quick Guide to Fruit and Veg

  Everyday fruit

  Everyday vegetables

  Top Tips

  Free Downloads

Quick guide to fruit portions:

Fresh fruit:

  Small-sized fruit: 2 or more, for example 2 plums, 2 satsumas, 3 apricots, 2 kiwi fruit, 7 strawberries, 14 cherries, 6 lychees

  Medium-sized fruit: 1 medium fruit, such as 1 apple, banana, pear, orange, nectarine, or 1 sharon fruit

  Large fruits: half a grapefruit, 1 slice of papaya, 1 slice of melon (2-inch slice), 1 large slice of pineapple, 2 slices of mango (2-inch slices)

Dried fruit:

  1 tablespoon of raisins, currants, sultanas, 1 tablespoon of mixed fruit, 2 figs, 3 prunes, 1 handful of banana chips

Tinned fruit:

  Roughly the same quantity of fruit that you would eat as a fresh portion: 2 pear or peach halves, 6 apricot halves, 8 segments of tinned grapefruit

Juices:

  A glass (150ml) of 100% juice (fruit or vegetable juice or smoothie) counts as 1 portion, but you can only count juice as 1 portion per day, however much you drink. This is mainly because it contains very little fibre. Also, the juicing process 'squashes' all the natural sugars out of the cells that normally contain them, which can be harmful for teeth - especially if you drink a lot of it in between meals

Back to top

Quick guide to vegetable portions:

Green vegetables:

  2 broccoli spears, 8 cauliflower florets, 4 heaped tablespoons of kale, spring greens or green beans

Cooked vegetables:

  3 heaped tablespoons of cooked vegetables such as carrots, peas or sweetcorn

Salad vegetables:

  3 sticks of celery, 2 inch piece of cucumber, 1 medium tomato, 7 cherry tomatoes

Tinned and frozen vegetables:

  Roughly the same quantity as you would eat as a fresh portion. For example, 3 heaped tablespoons of tinned or frozen carrots, peas or sweetcorn

Pulses and beans:

  3 heaped tablespoons of baked beans, haricot beans, kidney beans, cannelloni beans, butter beans or chick peas. Remember that beans and pulses do count, but only as 1 of the 5 portions, no matter how much you eat

Potatoes and other related root vegetables:

  Because they are considered a 'starchy' food, potatoes don't count towards your 5 A DAY. (Starchy foods are foods like potatoes, rice, pasta and bread.) We’re not suggesting you don’t eat them, but they should form the ‘starchy carbohydrate’ part of your meal

All adults and children over five years of age should be encouraged to eat a varied, balanced diet that is low in fat, salt and added sugars. This means a diet which includes a wide variety of foods, plenty of fruit and vegetables and starchy foods (such as bread, rice, potatoes and pasta), moderate amounts of meat and/or alternatives and moderate amounts of milk and dairy products.

Back to top

Everyday fruit