Fruit and vegetables have loads to offer - especially when we eat a variety of them!  Aim to eat at least five portions every day.  Fresh, frozen, tinned, dried and juiced fruit and vegetables all count.  Not potatoes though – they’re counted as a starchy food.

Why five a day?

Fruit and vegetables are jam-packed with vitamins and minerals to help keep us in tip-top health.  They’re low in fat so they make ideal snacks.  They give us the fibre we need for healthy digestion.  And by eating fruit and vegetables every day, you can reduce your risk of getting heart disease and some cancers.

Top tips on eating enough fruit and vegetables

Include some fruit or veg at every meal

Keep some tinned, dried and frozen fruit and veg at home for times when you’ve nothing fresh to hand

Chopped fruit or crunchy vegetable sticks make a great snack - keep some nearby to munch on throughout the day

Add a handful of fresh or dried fruit to your breakfast cereal

Put some salad into your lunchtime sandwich

Throw some frozen vegetables into curries and stews, or on top of pizzas

Try an unsweetened fruit juice when out with friends instead of a coffee. It’s best to have fruit juice with a meal to protect your teeth.

To get the most from your fruit and vegetables

Eat a variety of fruit and veg for maximum benefits

Buy whatever is in season – it’ll be cheaper and fresher

Cover and refrigerate any fruit or vegetables that you’ve cut

Stir-fry, steam or microwave your veggies – this way, none of their goodness is lost

Buy fruit tinned in its own juice rather than fruit tinned in syrup

When buying tinned vegetables, compare like-for-like and go for brands that are lower in salt

Spoon natural yoghurt over fruit salad instead of cream

How much is a portion?

The list below shows what makes up one portion of fruit or vegetables for an adult.  A portion for a young children is about half this size, and gets bigger as the child grows older.

1 portion fruit =

1 medium sized fresh fruit, e.g. apple/orange/pear/banana

2 small sized fresh fruits, e.g. plum/kiwi fruit/satsuma/mandarin

½ grapefruit or avocado

1 large slice of pineapple or melon

1 handful of grapes or berries

3 dessertspoons of fruit salad or stewed fruit

1 heaped tablespoon of dried fruit

1 small glass of fruit juice* (*fruit juice can only count as 1 portion each day)

1 portion vegetables =

1 dessert bowl of salad

1 small bowl of homemade vegetable soup

3-4 dessertspoons of vegetables (raw, cooked, frozen or tinned)

3-4 dessertspoons of beans and pulses* (*beans and pulses can only count as 1 portion each day)

Further information is available from Safe Food Ireland