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Original poster

Do you eat five portions of fruit/veg a day?

216 replies

Darkling1 · 23/06/2025 10:56

I plan my meals around what fruit/veg we have at home, so I consume my five fruit and veg most days!

I remember that target feeling impossible as a child, but I find it much easier as an adult.

OP posts:
Anzena · 23/06/2025 11:33

No veg at all. Berries every day in the breakfast bowl with chia and flax seed + wheat bran and Greek yogurt. Blood tests every six months show no issues at all. Rarely eat meat either, so it's fish, cheese and eggs mostly.

I don't believe all of these x per day instructions. Too much pressure for little reward really. But I suppose we all think we are doing the right thing FOR US! Protein, fibre, iron are the important things for me.

SeriousTissues · 23/06/2025 11:32

Probably not some days. Today I’ve had a load of cucumber for lunch. Tonight’s tea won’t involve any veg unless OH picks me up some mushrooms. And I’ll have a few strawberries after. I have to be very careful with fruit and can only manage a few strawberries or raspberries.

Toilichte · 23/06/2025 11:28

PhantomOTheParadise · 23/06/2025 11:23

Oooh, if spices count, then I'm well beyond 12 a day!

Show quote history

Spices don’t count as one of your “a-day”’portions. The a-days should be a serving size of 80g.

Spices and things count towards the idea that alongside your 5 a day you should also be trying to hit variety so 30 different plants a week should be part of your diet. But this does include things like cereals, nuts and spices.

they are all good for you. But it’s also about not tricking yourself into thinking you are healthy if you hit the 5 a day, but they are the same 5 every day, week in week out.

Holluschickie · 23/06/2025 11:28

Lots of cultures eat 30 plants a week quite naturally without tweaking diets.

IAmTheLogLady · 23/06/2025 11:27

Yes I'm interested in how much spice counts as a portion as currently I count 1 portion as a rough handful.

Thingsthatgo · 23/06/2025 11:27

Definitely have more than 5 different fruit and veg a day, but I don’t pay too much attention to the quantities of each, so maybe not hitting the target every day. (I eat small banana for example, they probably done count as a whole portion).

witchesfly · 23/06/2025 11:27

cross post

PhantomOTheParadise · 23/06/2025 11:27

5128gap · 23/06/2025 11:25

Same here. I eat a minimum of 8 a day, often more. As a vegan who doesn't like the fake stuff, there really isn't an option!

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Yes, I went vegan before there were many of the processed fake meat options, so I never got into the habit of eating them, which in hindsight, was a good thing because I had to learn how to cook with whole foods and make them taste good!

I do have a sneaky fake bacon sandwich once in a while, but 99 percent of my diet is natural whole foods out of necessity.

HappySheldon · 23/06/2025 11:27

No, not as your 5 a day- I meant they count in the idea that you should eat 30 different types of plant foods in a week. Sorry for the lack of clarity!

witchesfly · 23/06/2025 11:27

I understood a portion is what can be held in your hand. A handful of spice sounds improbable.

PrioritisePleasure24 · 23/06/2025 11:26

I prefer to look at it across the week and also include herbs/spices/legumes/nuts and seeds. To get that diversity for the gut health and we don’t just get nutrition from fruit/veg. So 20-30 different types over the week is recommended. Which i probably cover.

Original poster
Darkling1 · 23/06/2025 11:26

HappySheldon · 23/06/2025 11:21

Also spices... when I discovered spices count I dramatically upped my intake of black pepper, paprika, cinnamon and turmeric!! ( do a roast chicken marinade which has orange juice, cinnamon, turmeric and paprika- sounds strange but it's really good).

Show quote history

No way?! I assume you’d need a lot (in terms of quantity) for it to count though? I’ll look into this!

OP posts:
witchesfly · 23/06/2025 11:25

So yesterday, for example

B Muesli and milk (luxury one chock full of fruit and nuts so that must count as one portion!)

L chickpea curry and rice (veg in that red pepper, sweet potato, onion, cherry tomatoes, garlic, ginger, chilli)
grapes

D BBQ chicken, salad and new potatoes (lettuce, onion, carrot, pepper, tomato, cucumber)
cherries

It's easy.

5128gap · 23/06/2025 11:25

PhantomOTheParadise · 23/06/2025 11:10

Yes. I'd say I get about 12 portions in on average, but I'm vegan, so my meals are based around plants, and that makes it much easier.

Same here. I eat a minimum of 8 a day, often more. As a vegan who doesn't like the fake stuff, there really isn't an option!

Holluschickie · 23/06/2025 11:24

Including spices and seeds, I am upto 20 a day, as my daily diet includes turmeric, cumin, garlic, ginger, tamarind, mustard seeds etc etc.

IAmTheLogLady · 23/06/2025 11:24

Yes, more than probably 7+ tbh.
I have salad and or veg sticks with lunch most days and at least 3 portions of veg with dinner.
Fruit at various points in the day.

Original poster
Darkling1 · 23/06/2025 11:24

luckylavender · 23/06/2025 11:22

I start the day with a nutri bullet with 4 or 5 different fruit and spinach / kale. Anything else is a bonus.

I’ve tried fruit and spinach smoothies before, I just can’t enjoy them at all. I’d have to force myself to consume them, so I don’t make them anymore.

It would be much easier for me if I did enjoy them, though…

OP posts:
PhantomOTheParadise · 23/06/2025 11:23

HappySheldon · 23/06/2025 11:21

Also spices... when I discovered spices count I dramatically upped my intake of black pepper, paprika, cinnamon and turmeric!! ( do a roast chicken marinade which has orange juice, cinnamon, turmeric and paprika- sounds strange but it's really good).

Show quote history

Oooh, if spices count, then I'm well beyond 12 a day!

defrazzled · 23/06/2025 11:22

I used to - lots of fruit. I recently stopped eating all fruit due to blood sugar and it has massively improved my health. I eat 4-5 veg a day and a lot of grains/seeds but the fructose was causing me a lot of problems. Be careful if you have a family history of type 2.

usedtobeaylis · 23/06/2025 11:22

Yes, especially since I started taking Mounjaro. According to Nutracheck it's normally anything from 5-12 portions per day so even on the odd day I don't make it to 5, I feel ok about it. It's mostly veg rather than fruit. Trying to get it into my daughter is another story.

luckylavender · 23/06/2025 11:22

I start the day with a nutri bullet with 4 or 5 different fruit and spinach / kale. Anything else is a bonus.

witchesfly · 23/06/2025 11:21

7 a day guidance here (not UK). I average 5 I reckon.

Zippedydodah · 23/06/2025 11:21

Yes, at least five and often 8 or 9.

HappySheldon · 23/06/2025 11:21

CoffeeCantata · 23/06/2025 11:16

At the minimum. More like 8/9. I try to eat 30 different plants a week (easier if you include seeds and nuts).

I don't think it's difficult to do this but it can be more expensive.

Also spices... when I discovered spices count I dramatically upped my intake of black pepper, paprika, cinnamon and turmeric!! ( do a roast chicken marinade which has orange juice, cinnamon, turmeric and paprika- sounds strange but it's really good).

FOJN · 23/06/2025 11:20

Easily, it's usually more like 10. I'm vegetarian so I think that makes it easier.