Do you know what counts as 1 of your 5 a day?

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I was looking into this earlier in the week and some of my findings came as a surprise to me.

What does count.

• Fresh veg and fruit go without saying, but not all veg or fruit...
• Tinned/Canned veg or fruit
• Frozen veg or fruit
• Dried fruit, such as currants, dates, sultanas and figs. You only need 5 dried apricots or dates to each count as 1 of your 5 a day.
• Popcorn (its maize which is sweetcorn after all)!
• Sweet potatoes
• Parsnips,
• Swedes
• Turnips
• One glass (150ml) of unsweetened 100% fruit or vegetable juice. Juice counts as a maximum of one portion a day, even if you have more than one glass
• A smoothie containing all of the edible pulped fruit and/or vegetable may count as more than one portion but this depends on how it’s made.
• Fruit and vegetables cooked in dishes such as soups, stews or pasta dishes.

Oddities or things to watch out for

• If you have a large portion of mixed beans, even though there may be 3 different types of beans, they still only count as 1 portions
• More than one portion of the same thing still only counts as 1 portion.
• Beans and pulses, these only count as one portion a day, no matter how many you eat. That's because although they are a good source of fibre, they contain fewer nutrients than other fruits and vegetables.
• 1 tbsp. of tomatoes puree concentrate counts as 1 portion

What does not count.

• Potatoes
• Yams
• Cassava
• Plantain

This is the UK's NHS 1 of your 5 a day, what counts page.
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/5ADAY/Pages/Whatcounts.aspx

 

[Beer]

So 5 portions of Brussels sprouts don't count as 5 of your 5 a day??
I am sure that people standing behind me in the pub will be pleased if I change my diet to take that into account!!

 

[Food4thought]

I was aware that potatoes don't count and that dried fruits do. I also knew that tomato puree is very beneficial, and a tablespoonful is about right. The only surprise to me in the list is that popcorn is in the list. I would have thought that corn-on-the-cob counts but I never thought of it counting in the form of popcorn.