The often recommended intake of fruits and vegetables is five a day, but how much exactly is it in kg or piece? Is this enough to ensure an adequate supply of vitamins and minerals?

Germany

The current recommendation for fruit and vegetable intake is five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables each day. Everyone has different needs in vitamins and minerals, but this amount should be enough to guarantee an average adequate supply of vitamins and minerals. No matter whether you eat fresh, frozen, chilled, canned, 100% juice or dried fruit and vegetables, everything counts. Fruits and vegetables all contain different combinations of fibre, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. To get the maximum benefits, you need to eat different types of fruits and vegetables. So aim to include a variety of fruits and vegetables in your Five a Day to get the most benefit. The fruits and vegetables contained in convenience foods or takeaways - such as ready meals, pasta sauces, soups and puddings - can contribute to the five a day. But convenience foods can also be high in added salt, sugar or fat - which should only be eaten in moderation.

A single portion of vegetables for an adult might be:

• 3 tablespoonfuls of cooked carrots, peas or sweetcorn
• 1 cereal bowl of mixed salad

Beans and other pulse vegetables - such as kidney beans and chick peas - count only once a day, however much you eat. Because they are considered a starchy food, potatoes, rice, pasta and bread don´t count towards five a day. Children should also eat at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables each day, but the portion sizes may be smaller.

One portion of fruit might be:

• half a large grapefruit
• a slice of melon
• 3 dried apricots
• 1 tablespoon of raisins
• a glass of 100% juice (fruit or vegetable juice) - but you can only count juice as one portion a day, no matter how much you drink.

Read also:

http://www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/HealthAndSocialCareTopics/FiveADay/FiveADayGeneralInformation/fs/en

and
http://www.euro.who.int/nutrition/security/20030815_1