Plant foods and cancer prevention

Eat more of a variety of wholegrains, pulses such as beans, vegetables and fruits.

Basing our diets on plant foods (like wholegrains, pulses such as beans, vegetables and fruits), which contain fibre and other nutrients, can reduce our cancer risk. These foods contain plenty of fibre and water and tend to be lower in energy-density which means they can help us to maintain a healthy weight.

Plant foods and cancer prevention – the evidence

Research shows that vegetables and fruits probably protect against a range of cancers, including:

• mouth, pharynx and larynx
• oesophagus
• stomach
• lung

Our most recent update on bowel cancer found strong evidence that foods containing dietary fibre decrease the risk of bowel cancer. These foods include wholegrain bread and pasta, and oats. Fibre is thought to have many benefits, including helping to speed up how quickly food moves through our digestive system.

Vegetables and fruits may protect against cancer because they contain vitamins and minerals, which help keep the body healthy and strengthen our immune system.

They are also sources of phytochemicals. These can help to protect cells in the body from damage that can lead to cancer.

Plant foods can also help us to maintain a healthy weight because most of them are low in energy density.

What are plant foods?

Broadly speaking, plant foods fit into these main categories. AIm to eat these types of foods with every meal.

1. Wholegrain foods and pulses - this category includes:

• wholegrains (cereals) - including rice, oats, pasta and bread
• pulses - such as lentils, chickpeas and beans

2. Vegetables and fruits

3. Starchy foods such as:

• roots and tubers - including potatoes and yams

4. Non-wholegrain foods

• white rice, pasta and bread

Whenever possible it is best to choose from the first two categories and base your diet around wholegrains, pulses, vegetable and fruits.

What is a 5 A DAY portion?

Almost all vegetables and fruits count, apart from starchy tubers and roots like potatoes, yam, sweet potatoes and cassava. You can even use frozen, dried and canned vegetables and fruits. The more variety the better. As a rough guide, a portion is:

• Three heaped tablespoons of cooked vegetables like broccoli or carrots
• A small cereal bowl of salad vegetables like lettuce or spinach
• A medium-sized piece of fruit like an apple or a banana
• A slice of large fruit like melon
• A handful of smaller fruit like grapes
• A tablespoon of dried fruit like raisins
• Two small fruit like satsumas or plums
• Three heaped tablespoons of pulses eg; chickpeas or baked beans - but pulses only count as one portion a day, no matter how much you eat
• A small glass (150ml) of pure fruit juice – but again fruit juice only counts as one portion a day, no matter how much you drink

If you want to be inspired, we have lots of recipe suggestions for healthy foods that taste great.

Tips for eating more plant foods

• At least 5 A DAY, every day. Vegetables and fruits are the building blocks of a healthy diet - we should aim for at least five portions a day. They are high in nutrients like vitamins and minerals. Most are also low in calories and are good sources of fibre, so they are filling and can help us avoid weight gain.
• Fill 2/3 or more of your plate with plant foods. When preparing a meal, aim to fill at least two thirds of your plate with plant foods like vegetables, wholegrain rice, cereal and pasta, beans and lentils.

Read all our Recommendations for Cancer Prevention