Daily fruit and vegetable intake

Roesy · 20-04-2014 9:21am #1

My husband and I were talking about how our diet had changed since the birth of our 5 month old baby and agreed that our consumption of vegetables has definitely decreased.Our diet wouldn't be too bad in general in that we cook most things from scratch but it would have been better. We are probably consuming three portions of fruit and vegetables currently whereas 5 a day would have been usual for us. Our routine is starting to settle down again so are starting to get our eating back on track. I started reading more about the recommendations and was surprised to read that Ireland and the UK recommend 5 or more fruit and vegetables a day while the French are told aim for 10, Australians are encouraged to aim for 5+2(5 veg, 2 fruit) and Canadians are recommended to get between five and 10. The Japanese government seems to recommend up to 13 portions of vegetables plus four of fruit daily.

Do you get your 17 a day?

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar · 20-04-2014 10:18am

iirc the 5 a day was only settled on because it was the largest number politicians thought the public would go for, they didn't want people going "9 a day? **** that. pizza time"

Essien · 20-04-2014 11:08am

I don't eat anything 5 times a day, but when I eat veg I just make really big portions.

There's no way I'm having greens with my bacon and egg in the morning.

Roesy · 20-04-2014 11:11am

The five a day wouldn't have been our aim per say but would have been our average. Some days more, the odd time less. I suppose I found it interesting that Japan recommended so many. I'm not sure how I'd fit that many into my diet and I like pretty much every vegetable I've tasted with the exception of courgette. Even in my vegetarian days I'd say I would have been hard pushed to eat that many. I think by choosing a number like 5 people who are eating 2 or 3 probably think they aren't doing too badly but if they knew the recommendation was higher it might encourage them to eat more.

20-04-2014 11:16am

Essien wrote: »

I don't eat anything 5 times a day, but when I eat veg I just make really big portions.

There's no way I'm having greens with my bacon and egg in the morning.

Spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms!

There can be days that I don't eat any veg. There can be days I eat 10 portions, I try to get as much in as possible. Spinach would be my biggest one, I throw it into everything!

abstrakt82 · 20-04-2014 11:19am

i read before that people these days require more portions of vegetables than in the past, because vegetables have less nutrition in them than they did say, 50 years ago, due to the excessive farming of the land i.e vegetable being constantly grown on it without it being given a chance to regenerate

Essien · 20-04-2014 11:26am

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms!

I was thinking leafy green greens, so I forgot tomatoes. I always have grilled cherry tomatoes though, mushrooms the odd time but not spinach.

I'd have a bit of spinach in a salad alright.

20-04-2014 11:33am

Essien wrote: »

I was thinking leafy green greens, so I forgot tomatoes. I always have grilled cherry tomatoes though, mushrooms the odd time but not spinach.

I'd have a bit of spinach in a salad alright.

Spinach is really good with brekkie. I just throw it in the pan for a few seconds after the eggs are done, or if I make poached eggs, then a tiny bit of butter in the pan and in goes the spinach. Yum.

pampootie · 20-04-2014 12:44pm

I try to get 7 but usually end up around 5. I always notice though if I'm tired or stressed or sick fruit and veg are the first thing to go from my diet, it turns into just carbs and protein. I definitely eat more since we started getting a veg delivery though, I hate waste so it encourages me to eat what's there

silverharp · 20-04-2014 2:47pm

I got the family into juicing this year. its a good way to get veg in plenty of celery lettuce beetroot carrots etc. I have also been making a kale shake for myself and would normally get through 2 bags of kale a week.

Alf Veedersane · 20-04-2014 6:39pm

pampootie wrote: »

I try to get 7 but usually end up around 5. I always notice though if I'm tired or stressed or sick fruit and veg are the first thing to go from my diet, it turns into just carbs and protein. I definitely eat more since we started getting a veg delivery though, I hate waste so it encourages me to eat what's there

Now that I think of it, if I get lazy I get more veg. I'll grab (usually) chicken and frozen veg.

Tsipras · 20-04-2014 8:24pm

Breakfast:omelette filling+fried tomato+1/2 can beans+3 pieces of fruit so that's 6 I reckon
Lunch:Maybe 1-2 but more if at home
Dinner:Always a load of veg for dinner as usually eat curries/stir frys, 5-6 portions at least
So 12-13 at i'd say..
it's way harder if you've to eat a lot in restaurants I find the veg portions really small

dor843088 · 21-04-2014 12:52am

The 5 a day recommendation is a huge stab in the dark . It depends on what your looking for and what type of vegetables your eating. For example you could probably get a lot of your rda of micros and fibre from 1-2 servings of fibrous and leafy greens if you chose wisely. 1-2 servings of greens and 1-2 servings of fruit may be a better recommendation imo.

mickman · 22-04-2014 4:49pm

10 is now becoming the normal recommendation . 5 is much too low

dor843088 · 22-04-2014 5:59pm

mickman wrote: »

10 is now becoming the normal recommendation . 5 is much too low

Much too low in terms of what?

mickman · 22-04-2014 7:12pm

dor843088 wrote: »

Much too low in terms of what?

Of being able to assist in disease prevention

dor843088 · 22-04-2014 7:44pm

mickman wrote: »

Of being able to assist in disease prevention

Or in other words nothing.

A_Sober_Paddy · 22-04-2014 11:52pm

Do beans fit in with the 5 a day, as they seem to be full of minerals and vitamins as well as fibre...

By beans, I mean Black, Kidney & Chickpeas etc

mickman · 23-04-2014 8:29am

A_Sober_Paddy wrote: »

Do beans fit in with the 5 a day, as they seem to be full of minerals and vitamins as well as fibre...

By beans, I mean Black, Kidney & Chickpeas etc

they are good for sure but i dont think they are classed as fruit / veg

Tsipras · 23-04-2014 9:19am

A_Sober_Paddy wrote: »

Do beans fit in with the 5 a day, as they seem to be full of minerals and vitamins as well as fibre...

By beans, I mean Black, Kidney & Chickpeas etc

They do count but apparently only as 1 portion per day no matter how much you eat

A_Sober_Paddy · 23-04-2014 10:07am

Tsipras wrote: »

They do count but apparently only as 1 portion per day no matter how much you eat

Oh really surely they are more nutritious than a lot of veg and fruit, I'll compile a chart after work to see

IR1SH RANG3R · 10-05-2014 8:09pm

Does blending fruit/veg take anything away from them? I only ask because I'm not a fan but trying to work them into my diet and could see me taking 2/3 fruits/veg and blending them into a drink, easier to get down the neck!

allthedoyles · 10-05-2014 8:16pm

Careful with the blending / juicing as it causes a fast intake of sugar into the blood stream .

Advice is that fruit/veg is best in its original state

IR1SH RANG3R · 10-05-2014 8:23pm

allthedoyles wrote: »

Careful with the blending / juicing as it causes a fast intake of sugar into the blood stream .

Advice is that fruit/veg is best in its original state

Is it really that much worse though? I'd eat some veg with dinner and that but just to up the intake and variety I considered blending

silverharp · 11-05-2014 9:41am

IR1SH RANG3R wrote: »

Is it really that much worse though? I'd eat some veg with dinner and that but just to up the intake and variety I considered blending

its good, dont have the equivalent of more than 1 apple per pint and there wont be a problem

mickman · 12-05-2014 11:24am

allthedoyles wrote: »

Careful with the blending / juicing as it causes a fast intake of sugar into the blood stream .

Advice is that fruit/veg is best in its original state

this is only an issue with fruit

Pineapple202 · 12-05-2014 7:13pm

Juicing and smoothie making is a great way to get veggies in but people tend to overdo it on the fruit and not enough veg

A morning scrambled egg or omelette is a great way to get spinach/tomato/onion/mushroom/roast peppers/courgette etc...in

we really need to move away from the conventional breakfast ideas and be more willing to open up to different foods for breakfast. There are no rules!

I make sure I have a bag of pre washed shop bought green leaves everyday. It becomes a habit after a while.

I'd say I get about 5 portions a day but would love to get up to 9

ryan101 · 13-05-2014 11:06pm

A better way to look at it rather than 5-10 a day, is to cut down on animal products such as meat and dairy, cut down on processed and increase your intake fresh fruit and veg. The closer a food is to its original form , e.g. fruit and veg, the healthier it is. Green veg is the healthiest of all.

Introduce two fresh fruits to your breakfast, e.g. some cut up stawberries and blueberries or whatever you fancy into to your porridge / healthy cereal. Weekend breakfast you could have omelette with veg though it.

Use wholewhat bread, or wrap for a sandwich at lunch and always add two veg, e.g. lettuce and tomato, to the filling. Spinach leaves taste as good as lettuce.

That's already 4 in by lunch, if you had a fruit snack at 11, you're up to 5 by lunchtime.

Slowly alter your dinners in the evening so they eventually end up being half a plate of 3 mixed veg, and quarter of meat and a quarter of carb. (i.e. potatoes, rice or pasta)

For snacks, use fruit, but not too much fruit. Think veg veg veg. Whatever veggies you like (excluding. spuds) eat more of them.

Drink lots of water throughout the day, and less tea / coffee.

After a month or two, your palette will actually change, and you'll actually crave fruit / veg and healthy food rather than the crap.
And it won't be that hard, because your still eating relatively conventional meals.

Walk or do a favourite exercise for at least 20 mins every day.

Do this and I think you are a longway there I think, what do other people think of the above ?

Chancer3001 · 14-05-2014 8:34am

Ryan I disagree with so so much there.

Less meat?

Eat sandwiches?

Eat a quarter pasta with dinners?

No thanks. No thanks at all.

ryan101 · 14-05-2014 10:38am

Chancer3001 wrote: »

Ryan I disagree with so so much there.

Less meat?

Eat sandwiches?

Eat a quarter pasta with dinners?

No thanks. No thanks at all.

Well if you could explain I would appreciate it.

I was being general, you don't have to eat a quarter pasta I was thinking more potatoes or rice.
As for the "Eat sandwiches", some people will still eat two slices of wholemeal bread a day, better if they don't, but in the real world I don't see any harm if it's limited to that.

Could you lay out for us an example of what meals an ordinary family are supposed to eat in an ordinary day ?

_Brian · 14-05-2014 12:01pm

ryan101 wrote: »

A better way to look at it rather than 5-10 a day, is to cut down on animal products such as meat and dairy, cut down on processed and increase your intake fresh fruit and veg. The closer a food is to its original form , e.g. fruit and veg, the healthier it is. Green veg is the healthiest of all.

Introduce two fresh fruits to your breakfast, e.g. some cut up stawberries and blueberries or whatever you fancy into to your porridge / healthy cereal. Weekend breakfast you could have omelette with veg though it.

Use wholewhat bread, or wrap for a sandwich at lunch and always add two veg, e.g. lettuce and tomato, to the filling. Spinach leaves taste as good as lettuce.

That's already 4 in by lunch, if you had a fruit snack at 11, you're up to 5 by lunchtime.

Slowly alter your dinners in the evening so they eventually end up being half a plate of 3 mixed veg, and quarter of meat and a quarter of carb. (i.e. potatoes, rice or pasta)

For snacks, use fruit, but not too much fruit. Think veg veg veg. Whatever veggies you like (excluding. spuds) eat more of them.

Drink lots of water throughout the day, and less tea / coffee.

After a month or two, your palette will actually change, and you'll actually crave fruit / veg and healthy food rather than the crap.
And it won't be that hard, because your still eating relatively conventional meals.

Walk or do a favourite exercise for at least 20 mins every day.

Do this and I think you are a longway there I think, what do other people think of the above ?

It makes alot of sense..
I'd just add that a treat every now and then is OK too..
Glass of wine, a beer or a slice of cake.. whatever your taste is..
People often fail at changing their eating habbits because it contains nothing they would traditionally think of as a treat and so particularly in the begining it seems regimented..

Alf Veedersane · 14-05-2014 12:33pm

ryan101 wrote: »

Well if you could explain I would appreciate it.

I was being general, you don't have to eat a quarter pasta I was thinking more potatoes or rice.
As for the "Eat sandwiches", some people will still eat two slices of wholemeal bread a day, better if they don't, but in the real world I don't see any harm if it's limited to that.

Could you lay out for us an example of what meals an ordinary family are supposed to eat in an ordinary day ?

It pretty much amounts to try to eat more veg in your meals.

I don't agree with reducing the meat and advocating bread.

Not saying it's your intention to suggest reducing animal-based protein and increase carbs but it reads a little like that.

But I don't disagree with the central part of includsing more veg in your meals. I just don't think it needs to come at the expense of meat and/or dairy.

ryan101 · 14-05-2014 12:40pm

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

It pretty much amounts to try to eat more veg in your meals.

I don't agree with reducing the meat and advocating bread.

Not saying it's your intention to suggest reducing animal-based protein and increase carbs but it reads a little like that.

But I don't disagree with the central part of includsing more veg in your meals. I just don't think it needs to come at the expense of meat and/or dairy.

I'm not advocating bread, as I already explained, max. two slices of wholemeal bread per day.

Would you advocate the sausages and mince you were defending on another thread ?

Alf Veedersane · 14-05-2014 12:56pm

ryan101 wrote: »

I'm not advocating bread, as I already explained, max. two slices of wholemeal bread per day.

Would you advocate the sausages and mince you were defending on another thread ?

I've no problems with sausages that are 85%+ pork. And I've no problem with mince. I don't see why I should.

And I don't think a quarter of your dinner needs to be carbs.

But that's just me.

No need to be so defensive, I didn't say that it was necessarily that you were advocating bread but that it read like you were.

You also asked for thoughts on what you said. I gave mine.

ryan101 · 14-05-2014 1:04pm

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

I've no problems with sausages that are 85%+ pork. And I've no problem with mince. I don't see why I should.

And I don't think a quarter of your dinner needs to be carbs.

But that's just me.

No need to be so defensive, I didn't say that it was necessarily that you were advocating bread but that it read like you were.

You also asked for thoughts on what you said. I gave mine.

I didn't say your dinner "needs to be" a quarter carbs either, I'm not being defensive, I just don't think people should be misquoted.
I don't consider processed meats or sausages and mince as healthy.

silverharp · 14-05-2014 1:10pm

I can vouch for craving veg. I took junior hiking and camping a couple of weeks back so it was canned food for 2 days. What I was thinking about coming home was making a kale shake ;-)

dor843088 · 14-05-2014 1:10pm

The old bread debate raising its ugly head gain eh!

TimeToShine · 14-05-2014 1:32pm

Chancer3001 wrote: »

Ryan I disagree with so so much there.

Less meat?

Eat sandwiches?

Eat a quarter pasta with dinners?

No thanks. No thanks at all.

Ah this isn't really a fair summary.

The simple matter of the fact is for your average joe who is trying to clean his/her food intake up a bit bread is and has been a staple of their diet since they were kids. It's all well and good for regulars on the nutrition&diet forum to complain about how nutritionally void and worthless bread is (and they wouldn't be wrong) but for most people the best you can hope for initially is to get them to switch over to brown bread or a wholemeal wrap. If you overwhelm people with restrictions they'll just think "**** it" and revert to their bad habits. You have to walk before you can run. Same idea applies to their pasta/spuds with dinner.

I agree with your first point though, there is rarely ever a reason to eat less good meat. But I think the underlying idea is the same; eat vegetables as often as possible.

Alf Veedersane · 14-05-2014 2:05pm

ryan101 wrote: »

I didn't say your dinner "needs to be" a quarter carbs either, I'm not being defensive, I just don't think people should be misquoted.
I don't consider processed meats or sausages and mince as healthy.

I didn't misquote you. I even said I didn't think it was your intention to advocate bread in place of meat. I said it reads a little like it.

I also didn't say that you said your dinner needs to be a quarter carbs.

ryan101 wrote:

Slowly alter your dinners in the evening so they eventually end up being half a plate of 3 mixed veg, and quarter of meat and a quarter of carb. (i.e. potatoes, rice or pasta)

I was just responding to that.

Also, I usually get my butcher to mince a steak when I get there. How is that unhealthy, exactly? Because technically it's processed because it has been minced?

ryan101 · 14-05-2014 2:07pm

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Also, I usually get my butcher to mince a steak when I get there. How is that unhealthy, exactly? Because technically it's processed because it has been minced?

No it's not, you were not advocating that on the mince thread.

Good red meat is ok, but in moderation.

Alf Veedersane · 14-05-2014 2:13pm

ryan101 wrote: »

No it's not, but you were not advocating that on the mince thread.

I think you've misunderstood the word 'advocating'.

What I said was I didn't think there should be such horror that different bits of the cow went into pre-packed mince.

You are coming across as defensive. All I originally said was that I disagreed with how it read but that how it read and what your intention was were different and that I agreed with your central point in that people should include more veg in their diet.

ryan101 · 14-05-2014 2:18pm

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

I think you've misunderstood the word 'advocating'.

What I said was I didn't think there should be such horror that different bits of the cow went into pre-packed mince.

There isn't any "horror", some people would just prefer to know what their meat contains and have the choice, rather than sometimes having to eat random meat waste, chosen by someone else for them to eat.

Alf Veedersane · 14-05-2014 2:31pm

ryan101 wrote: »

There isn't any "horror", some people would just prefer to know what their meat contains and have the choice, rather than sometimes having to eat random meat waste, chosen by someone else for them to eat.

It's still beef.

Unless it's horse.

I'll let you off misquoting me

Chancer3001 · 14-05-2014 4:24pm

The defensiveness is high with this one.

I totally see your run before you can walk angle, but I disagree with it myself.I'd prefer to give the truth . Leave out bread if you want a healthy diet. Eat more veg. Eat more meat.

There's load.of things I would tell people before I'd say get some wholemeal bread and ease off on the meat.

mickman · 14-05-2014 4:27pm

Chancer3001 wrote: »

The defensiveness is high with this one.

I totally see your run before you can walk angle, but I disagree with it myself.I'd prefer to give the truth . Leave out bread if you want a healthy diet. Eat more veg. Eat more meat.

There's load.of things I would tell people before I'd say get some wholemeal bread and ease off on the meat.

agreed, nothing wrong with bread either though. All in a varied diet.

ryan101 · 14-05-2014 4:31pm

Chancer3001 wrote: »

The defensiveness is high with this one.

I totally see your run before you can walk angle, but I disagree with it myself.I'd prefer to give the truth . Leave out bread if you want a healthy diet. Eat more veg. Eat more meat.

Eat more meat ? The truth is not all meat is good and you don't require large quantities of it.

Chancer3001 · 14-05-2014 4:32pm

Yeah I do. I require a.hell of a lot of protein.

ryan101 · 14-05-2014 4:34pm

Chancer3001 wrote: »

Yeah I do. I require a.hell of a lot of protein.

So you're talking about a specific diet for a specific purpose, do you recommend high protien intake for normal day to day requirements ?

Chancer3001 · 14-05-2014 4:39pm

For somebody eating 2200 calories a day I'd recommend protein make up at least 40 % of them.

40 30 30 protein fat carbs.

Maybe even 40 35 25 if they were happy with that

dor843088 · 14-05-2014 4:48pm

Bread is unhealthy. 40/30/30 percentages . I like where this thread is going.

TimeToShine · 14-05-2014 4:52pm

Chancer3001 wrote: »

For somebody eating 2200 calories a day I'd recommend protein make up at least 40 % of them.

40 30 30 protein fat carbs.

Maybe even 40 35 25 if they were happy with that

WTF.

This is not the kind of stuff normal people respond to - macro percentages and cutting out the staple of their diet? How are they supposed to make sense of that?

You want people to slowly make changes to their diet and adapt them to their lifestyle. The OP said they were a couple discussing how their vegetable intake has dropped recently - does that sound like someone who tracks their macros and weighs all her food on precision scales?

A bit of context goes a long way. Maybe you have been nutritionally savvy your whole life, maybe you made the switch with relative ease, but to assume that everyone else would achieve it as easily isn't fair.

Daily fruit and vegetable intake

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