5 a day

It can be easier than you think to give children five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.

Did you know that these all count towards five a day?

• 100% pure unsweetened orange juice. Only one glass a day counts
• A handful of currants, raisins or grapes
• Frozen peas, carrots or broccoli
• Fresh fruit smoothies, either homemade or from the shops
• Tinned tomatoes or sweetcorn
• Dried apricots or tinned peaches in natural juice, not syrup
• One medium apple or banana
• Pure fruit juice iced lollies
• A dozen chunks of canned pineapple or seven strawberries
• Vegetable soup

Did you know that all school dinners include at least two portions of fruit or veg? So that’s another way of getting them toward their five a day!

You can keep the costs down too by buying canned and frozen fruit and veg which doesn’t go off as quickly. However, buying fresh fruit and veg when it’s in season is usually cheaper.

Breakfast

A bowl of porridge with a sliced up banana on top makes for a scrummy breakfast – especially when the weather’s turning colder.

Make a fruit salad – apples, oranges, pears, strawberries, grapes and melon all work brilliantly. Chop up the fruit, put it in a container, add a splash of unsweetened orange juice over the top to preserve the fruit – and then just cover it and put it in the fridge. It’ll last a good few days.

Give the kids a glass of pure fruit juice with breakfast – remember though, juice only counts as one portion a day maximum, however many glasses they drink. Don’t forget to check on the box that the juice is pure and unsweetened.

For more ways to get your five a day check out our recipes section. You will find loads of delicious ideas for lunch and dinner too!

What is a portion?

You can eat a mixture of fruit and veg as part of your five a day. You do not need to eat five portions of fruit and another five portions of veg.

It’s also best to get as wide a range into your diet as possible – so all kinds of fruit and vegetables rather than the same ones all the time.

For kids a portion size varies, as every growing child has a different-sized tummy. Very roughly, one serving is the amount that fits into the palm of their hand.

What counts?

Canned, frozen, 100% juice and dried fruit and veg all count towards five a day, as well as fresh produce.

So don’t forget about the frozen peas or the cans of peaches.

What doesn’t count?

Things that are very processed don’t count. So watch out for fruit squash as it may contain sugar.

Jams and chutneys don’t count either. They have lots of added sugar and not many nutrients. The same goes for pickled veg like onions and beetroot. The vinegar gets rid of the goodness.

And potatoes contain too much starch so they don’t count either.