Pickles- part of 5 a day?

[tigermeow]

Over Christmas dinner the FIL started asking about whether pickles (gerkins, olives, beetroot, walnuts) could be counted in your '5 a day' quota.
No one had any idea and most didn't care! So, on behalf of the FIL, can pickles be included in your 5 a day?

yes. and cheese and onion crisps = 2 portions (onions, potatoes).

and tommy sauce

You'd probably have to eat quite a few to include them as a whole 'one' of your five a day - I'd say about 6 large onions, 20 olives, 6 beetroot and 10 walnuts would be four of your five a day.

But there would possibly be vitamins that may have been pickled out so you probably wouldn't get the same benefits had you been eating fresh.

1 portion of bottled beetroot would be 3 'baby' whole, or 7 slices according to the nhs 5 a day website. I would imagine that the olives and gherkins would count too.

p.s. 1 whole onion is 1 portion so MissisBoot's list would have you well over your quota.