Does your child get their 5 a day every day?

[bookworm1982]

Just interested in answers. I have a 6 year old who easily has his 5 a day every day, probably more. And then an extremely picky 4 year old who some days barely gets 1 of his five a day.

Not 100% sure as they have lunch at school/nursery most days but I'd say 7 year old probably yes, and 3 year old probably no (he'll have a couple of portions of fruit a day, but is super fussy with vegetables).

Yes, but we’re vegetarians, so because of that it would be hard not to. Obviously they both go through fussy phases where they eat very little in the way of variety.

Not every day. It varies wildly tbh. They are 6 and 7. Sometimes it could be 2 , other days 10.

They do eat a good variety of food and eat well , so I'm not worried. I do think I could encourage fruit as a first snack option more.

Yes, usually more on most days probably, but within that some days 10 and some days under 5. We are vegetarian so our basic meals are quite veg-heavy.

Both of mine are relatively ok with fruit and veg but actually thinking about it, I don't think either of them get their five a day every day

Although I think I read somewhere that 5 was chosen almost arbitrarily just so there's something to aim for, does anyone know if that's true or is there a scientific basis for it?

My Dutch husband grew up with 'eat a rainbow' which is to do with getting different nutrients from different coloured fruits and vegetables and we're pretty good at that

Probably more like 3-4 than 5 a day.

Yes @ChickenRat i have heard the same about 5 being an arbitrary number chosen for a healthy eating marketing campaign (although obviously eating veg is good in general).

I think its meant to be 7 a day.

I have no idea… don’t care either. They do get theee meals a day and a multivitamin. 😀

Have a read of this article.

5 a day is a marketing campaign.

Yes, eating veg/fruit is good for us, but don't panic if you're not meeting this 'target' every day!

And this quote illustrates just how it's used to market more profitable products:

Retailers use the five-a-day labelling more routinely on products with a higher profit margin – prepared fruits and salads, packaged vegetables and so on. Loose fruits and vegetables – usually the cheapest option – are rarely labelled as one of your five a day, whether you shop at Iceland or Tesco. At Waitrose, the link between higher-cost products and the five-a-day labelling is even more apparent.

The store's cheaper Essentials range contains almost no five-a-day labelling. So, a plain old orange sold under the Essentials banner (costing £1.99 a bag) appears not to contribute to your daily count. But splurge £3.19 on a bag and one "seedless sweet and exceptionally juicy large navel orange" takes care of one of your five portions. Perhaps they price up the adjectives by the pound too.

Yes easily and more. Ds starts the day with a bowl of fruit with his breakfast, has salad /veg with his school lunch, same with his evening dinner (at least 2 or 3 portions of veg), then fruit again.

Probably not even 5 a week 😞

Hmm, the choice of 5 is lower than what is actually needed and eating a wide range of fresh fruit and veg is hugely beneficial for physical and mental health.

The fact there is marketing of the concept does not make the idea of eating fruit and veg dismissible as 'marketing'.

That doesn't have anything to do with actually eating fruit & veg.

That just says supermarkets put different stickers on different items.

Eating lots of fruit and veg is healthier than not doing so, regardless of the stickers.

As preschoolers and primary aged kids, yes, almost every day.

Now as teens, not a chance. 5 portions of crisps, maybe

Agreed @wildfirewonder . I did point out that it's good for us to eat veg/fruit. However, I was also trying to make the point - badly, as you obviously didn't get it - that worrying about a specific number is pointless.

... and that it's being used - very cynically - to persuade people to buy more expensive products.

Oh - and brands, like Heinz Peppa Pig spaghetti, which are marketed with 'one of your 5 a day' on them.

Not sure about my eldest as he makes his own lunch etc.

Younger two often have fruit at breakfast, fruit snack in the morning, fruit/veg with lunch, 2 veg at dinner and often a piece of fruit after.

I think the issue is people think 5 is enough...

We should be eating much more.

So those who only eat 1 or 2 are, IMO, correct to identify that as sub-optimal diet. Not that it can always be remedied - money, fussy eaters etc.

Here's the evidence about 7 a day:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-26818377.amp

DS no, he will take a smoothie every day though so that's something going in at least.

DD yes but she's only 2 and will cheerfully eat vegetable soup and bowls of tomatoes and grapes and so on.

Not entirely sure about school lunches and they also eat at after school club a couple of days a week but the rest of the time, I would guess 4-5.

Today, my 6 year old will likely eat:

Strawberries and banana with breakfast (1-2)
Grapes and cucumber as snack (1-2)
Peas and sweetcorn with his lunch (1-2)
Broccoli or roasted carrots with dinner (1-2)

Actually better than I had thought

One child it's has always been a struggle and rarely makes it to 5.

The other probably has 10'a day.

My eldest is now an adult and he was the sort of child who would eat what anything you gave him. He’s 20 and snacks on fruit still.

My 9 year old dd is good with fruit and veg.

My almost 3 year old will eat peas and broccoli if the mood takes her.

A piece of fruit has never passed her lips, even though I serve it to her everyday when he sister wares it.. Even as a small baby, she would make faces and scream at mashed up fruit.

She lives off meat and eggs and is the healthiest of all three of mine.