Have you heard about eating your 5 A DAY? This means having at a least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day.
Eating your 5 A DAY gives your body the vitamins and minerals it needs to be healthy. Have you heard of vitamins like vitamin A, C and E, or minerals like iron, calcium and potassium? These, along with many others, help our bodies function at their best, which is why we should eat many different types of fruit and vegetables.
One way to do this is by eating ones with different colours – try to eat the colours of the rainbow during the week! Each different coloured fruit and vegetable has its own special mix of vitamins and minerals, so eating a variety makes sure you’re getting all the different nutrients.
Look at our flyers on red, green, yellow, orange and white plant foods to discover the many colourful fruit and vegetables from around the world.
Fruit and vegetables also have something called fibre, which is a type of carbohydrate that keeps your tummy healthy. Fruit, and especially vegetables, are a good source of fibre. But you can also get fibre from wholegrain carbohydrates – carbohydrates that are brown in colour like brown rice, wholewheat pasta and wholemeal bread.
One of your 5 A DAY is about the amount that fits into one handful. It’s important to remember that fresh, frozen, canned, dried and juiced fruit and vegetables all count!
Download our 5 A DAY portion size poster to learn more about what counts towards your 5 A DAY:
Did you know that beans and pulses (like beans, chickpeas and lentils) also count as one of your 5 A DAY? They have lots of fibre, protein, and different vitamins and minerals.
Potatoes, yams, cassava and plantains don’t count as one of your 5 A DAY. That’s because they are considered starchy carbohydrates. But remember, sweet potatoes do count towards your 5 A Day!
Have you heard that eating fruit and vegetables that are in season is better for the environment? This is true! Find out why and which fruit and vegetables are in season in spring, summer, autumn and winter.
Here are some of our delicious recipes for you to try that will help get you towards your 5 A DAY:
Try some more of our tasty, and easy to make, recipes for children!
