Do you find it easy to eat your 5 potions of fruit and veg daily?

[CatteryCatss]

I have a yoghurt bowl for breakfast each day with at least 3 portions of fruit in (usually strawberries, raisins, raspberries and banana chips)

Then I’ll have around two portions of veg with whatever I’m having for dinner e.g. mixed salad and corn on the cob with a burger or green beans and carrots with cheesy pasta.

I think I’d really struggle if I ate my five portions individually, though!

You have to have 7 not 5.

Why is so hard to believe that healthy people exist? My portions sizes are probably larger than the recommended😂 I'd count half a head of broccoli as a portion or 6 large strawberries for example.

Sone portions will be small but others are large - a carrot at 100g for example

Yes.
I've been logging in nutracheck, always over 5 usually 7/8. I'm not really thinking about fruit and veg portions.

I do not find it difficult if I can be bothered to make the effort. But tbh most days I have about 2 portions

It used to be quite difficult when I didn't eat fruit, but I've re-introduced fruit into my diet and it's much easier to hit 5 a day now. Although the extra sugar content isn't ideal.

I've just checked the official portion sizes and I am generally eating way more than the guidance, especially with veg. I have half a head of broccoli or cauliflower and a massive amounts of spinach/cabbage (several handfuls). Lunchtime salads are probably the suggested portions. Half a bag of rocket, 10 or so cherry tomatoes, half an avocado, several inches of cucumber

Yes, it's proper servings as per guidelines. If you make meat/protein and veg the basis of your meals, with your traditional 'carbs' (rice, pasta, potatoes, etc) minimal, it's easy enough to eat plenty. I do it to keep my blood glucose in check as I'm diabetic. I'll have potato and other starchy veg if I'm hungry enough to need it, or sometimes just if I fancy it, but I have a small serving.

I’ve no doubt that some do achieve that(including yourself) but I have seen a lot of people on MN count any amount of fruit and veg as a portion even if it’s much less than 80g.

Why is so hard to believe that healthy people exist?

How did you read what I said and come to the above conclusion? 😆

I'd count half a head of broccoli as a portion or 6 large strawberries for example.

But surely that isn't actually much more than what is recommended?

Yes I think some people don't understand how much it is. However having some fruit and veg daily, even if it is less than ideal, is better than none.

The 5-a-day rule is actually on the lower end of recommendation - it's supposed to be around 8 or maybe 10 IIRC but it was thought that 5 is more achievable.

I’ve no doubt that some do achieve that(including yourself) but I have seen a lot of people on MN count any amount of fruit and veg as a portion even if it’s much less than 80g.

Same @SandalsandPools & even my vegetarian friends in real life say they struggle to get 8 plus portions.

Also the cost, I think it would be quite expensive to eat 8 plus portions every day particularly in a family.

Yes.
I'm not a friend of fruit/veg.
😕
Bollocks, I mean difficult.

The portions aren't THAT big, really... But I eat low carb so my meal is mostly veg and protein and therefore probably a bigger portion than if you were having it with rice/pasta etc. Before I started eating low carb in 2021 I DEFINITELY wasn't getting 5+ portions a day.

I don't struggle.

I had a cancer diagnosis a few years ago and since then have been eating 30 different fruit & veg a week to boost my immune system, as advised. A typical day is.....

Breakfast
Porridge with fruit, fresh coffee (oats, apple, coffee 3)
Lunch
Grilled chicken breast with salad (tomato, cucumber, lettuce, spring onions, beetroot 5)
Snacks
Mixed nuts, satsuma, pear (hazel, walnut, cashew, almond, satsuma, pear, 6)
Supper
Venison burger with buttered swede, broccoli and chips (swede, broccoli, 2)

So 16 in a good day. I usually manage 34 in a week.

Normally peas, sweetcorn, broad beans, spinach, carrots, cabbage, onions, potatoes, garlic, leeks, parsnips, mushrooms, sprouts, cannellini beans, kidney beans, ginger, etc.

Once you get used to the idea, it's not difficult. I do it every day now.

Well the 5 portions of fruit & veg a day was a made up thing so I don’t prescribe to it or count how much I eat.
Worth noting that when they launched it they suggested 3 portions in some places as they didn’t think 5 was realistic expectation

No idea. Nobody, so far as I am aware has ever said what a "portion" is.

(And please don't give me an answer in grammes. I don't weigh my food.)

Today for breakfast I had porridge with blueberries, sliced peach and chopped nuts.

then a prawn sandwich with lettuce and cucumber

just had a home made curry packed with all the random bits in the fridge…. Celery, carrots, peppers, onions, baby corn and chicken. I also added a tub of butter beans.

So I think my total is 10 fruit and veg for today? Do nuts count? to be fair some days it’s just crumpets for breakfast and a big fat take away pizza or kebab. I read that we shouldn’t be focusing on 5 a day but rather 35 different types a week as a minimum and this includes garlic/ginger/herbs/spices etc. I hit that very easily

I struggle - maybe I'm just being honest. I can't see how anyone would easily manage 10.

Today for instance

Breakfast was toast, egg and a coffee
Banana for a snack
Lunch was a wholemeal wrap with tuna, mayo and slices of cucumber.
We've just had dinner, steak pie, mash, carrots and sprouts.

I won't eat anything else today, that's just four portions.

@SoapySponge

If you’re interested, you can look online and see photos of what a portion looks like of different fruits/veg, or it’ll tell you how many tablespoons of things like peas etc, if you don’t want to measure.

There’s none with your breakfast and an only bit of cucumber with your lunch. That’s 2 meals you’re having and missing out on having fruit/veg with.

Today for me,
Breakfast was porridge with 100g of berries and 5 dried apricots with nuts and seeds, (2 portions)
Lunch was a chickpea quinoa salad with tomatoes, cucumber, carrot, tomato, sweetcorn and lettuce, (not a full portion of all but 3 portions in total.)
Dinner was tofu and veg stir fry with edamame beans, cabbage, mushrooms, peppers and onions. (Not a full portion of each but 3 portions in total.)
1/2 an apple and 1/2 a banana and peanut butter. (1 portion.)
So that’s 9.

I don’t struggle but I suspect my young ds doesn’t do brilliantly. He only had 3 portions of fruit/veg today, although yesterday he had plenty.

My older dd on the other hand has loads of fruit and veg.

If you don't want to weigh, think a handful

So about 5 little tomatoes , 10 grapes , a smallish apple , a normal serving of peas , a carrot