The World Cancer Research Fund reported that it currently costs about 42 pence a day to eat your 5-A-Day. For example, a British Savoy cabbage provides around 10 portions and costs around 70 pence. Frozen and canned fruit and vegetables can be great value for money too.
One portion is 80g or any of the following: one banana, orange, pear or apple or a similar sized fruit. half a grapefruit or avocado. a slice of large fruit such as melon or pineapple.
A 30g portion of dried fruit, such as currants, dates, sultanas and figs, counts as 1 of your 5 A Day, but should be eaten at mealtimes, not as a between-meal snack, to reduce the impact on teeth. Fruit and vegetables in convenience foods, such as ready meals and shop-bought pasta sauces, soups and puddings.
But the researchers warned that popcorn should be seen as a supplement to your five-a-day, not an alternative, as it doesn't contain the vital vitamins and nutrients found in fruit and vegetables.
Pulses such as lentils, peas and beans all count towards your 5 A DAY. Grains and cereals such as rice, oats, pasta, bread, couscous and unsweetened breakfast cereals. Opt for wholegrain varieties and limit highly processed foods, such as cakes and pastries. Starchy vegetables eg potatoes.
The avocado, chickpeas or tomato in them will count towards your 5-a-day. A typical serving weighs around 50g (a portion of vegetables is 80g) and that includes other ingredients, so it isn't a whole portion, but every little helps. Boost your intake further by using vegetable sticks to dip.
Q: Do vitamin pills or other dietary supplements count towards my 5 A Day? A: No. Taking dietary supplements does not have the same health benefits as eating more fruit and vegetables.
All fruit and veg, including fresh, frozen, canned, dried and pure juices, count, including those that are part of a dish such as Bolognese, lasagne or curry. The exception is potatoes – these are classed as a starchy food and so aren't included as part of 5-a-day.
Although sliced cucumber, tomato or lettuce in a sandwich can contribute towards your 5-a-day, it's unlikely that there will be 80g of vegetables in your salad, which is how much you need for it to count as one portion of vegetables.
"Chickpeas, the key ingredient in hummus and falafel, can count towards your 5-a-day," Ro says. "But similar to baked beans, they are considered a pulse. Therefore, if you had a portion of baked beans and chickpeas, this would still only count as one of your 5-a-day."
Coleslaw: All that cabbage and carrot means 3.5 heaped tablespoons is equal to one of your daily five. But it also comes with 230 calories (130 in the reduced-fat version) on average, thanks to the mayonnaise.
One-and-a-half full-length celery sticks, a 5cm piece of cucumber, one medium tomato or seven cherry tomatoes count as one portion.
One portion could be half a grapefruit, a slice of papaya, a slice of melon, one large slice of pineapple or two slices of mango. One portion is two or more small fruit such as two plums, three apricots, seven strawberries or 14 cherries. least 5 portions a day.
Five servings of vegetables: four cups of lettuce, a half cup of mushrooms and a sweet pepper for good measure. Five servings of produce: one medium banana, one tomato, one orange, a half cup of broccoli and a half cup of carrots.
Blueberries are something that can be enjoyed every day, and two handfuls of blueberries, which is the equivalent of 4 heaped teaspoons, counts towards one of your five-a-day portions. Research has found that eating a cup of blueberries a day reduces risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
An adult portion is 80g (about 3oz) of fresh, frozen or tinned fruit or vegetables. For dried fruit or veg it's 30g - or 150ml if you're having juice. A good guide is that a portion is about a handful. Two plums, satsumas or kiwi fruit; eight strawberries; 12 grapes; 14 cherries.
'This is because when eaten as part of a meal, they are generally used in place of other starchy carbohydrates, such as bread, pasta or rice. 'As such, they have a different role to vegetables in the average diet and do not count towards the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
Is eating oatmeal 3 times a day bad? While it's a healthy and satisfying option, experts advise against indulging in the hearty breakfast food more than twice a day. Consuming excessive amounts of oatmeal can cause digestive discomfort like bloating and gas.
There is simply no better way to get your 5 serves than eating a salad or soup for lunch everyday. Get sassy with sauces! Puree vegetables like carrots, carrot tops, sweet potatoes or cauliflower and mix them into sauces such as pesto, pasta sauces – think cauli alfredo or veggie rich tomato based sauces.