How much fruit & veg?

There is so much confusion about how many fruit and vegetables we should be consuming and getting a balance between the two.

The five-a-day message has been bouncing around the media for many years but as a nutritionist I would be advising that we all should be eating as many as possible, five portions a day being the absolute minimum.

What is better, fruit or veg?

The nutrient quantity in both fruits and vegetables are actually quite similar but the concentrations are higher in vegetables than fruit.

It is colour that we should be most interested in as it is these colour pigments in both fruit and vegetables that have so many health benefits. They contain antioxidants which not only protect the body from serious illnesses but also have many anti ageing compounds.

Fruit and vegetables also contain a high quantity of fibre which is essential for keeping the bowels moving and releasing toxic waste from the body. Avocados (which are technically a fruit) and dried apricots come out top.

Fruits contain more sugar?

Although fruit does contains more sugar than vegetables it is actually higher in dried fruit. There is no such thing as ‘healthy’ sugar but fruit contains fructose which has to be processed by the liver. This does not have such a negative effect on blood sugar levels which is one of the biggest barriers to effective weight management.

Fructose levels do vary from fruit to fruit. Strawberries for example have very low levels.

Conclusion

The general advice would be to eat more vegetables than fruit. especially you are worried about your weight.

Most people however are falling far short of the minimum so need inventive ways to include these vital nutrients into their diet.

Juicing is a great way to do this with vegetables as the base but including fruits such as apples, pears & pineapple for sweetness.

Salads and soups are also great ways to incorporate as many different veg as possible together.