5 portions of fruit / veg a day

[3andnomore]

Have always been wondering about this....is this the same amount for children/tots, etc.. as for adults...i.e an apple would be counted as 1 portion for an adylt...would the same apple count as more, say 2 portions for a Tot or how does this actually work out?

IIRC Children should have 2.5 portions.

that was adult not adylt, lol....

They should have 5 portions, but the portions are smaller

a portion is roughly the size of your fist, so you can scale it down to a child's fist size

5 portions, but smaller. Basically, about 1 spoonful of ech type of F+V for each year of life until they rech 5 yrs old and then it should be about the same size as an adult size portion.

Thank you all...just been one of those things I have been wondering about for ages, and always felt to stupid to ask about,lol!
Looks like my Kids are o.k. then...phew!

children need 5 portions as well.... but a portion is smalle...

about the size of their fist

obviously babys being weaned on purees etc dont need 5 a day... but by 1 year after having been weaned when they should be eating and normal diet of chopped ratehr than pureed food yes they need 5 different fruit / veg a day

why doo they have to be 5 different ones a day?
Not saying they should get the variety, but I look at it week by week....because my Kids tend to like one day this next day that...so...rather have them take then an equivalent of 3 portions of one veg and 2 portions of one variety of fruit then none...and the next day they are likely to want somehting different...I was always under the assumption that, as long as they get a varied diet over the course off a week it can be classed as a healthy varied diet?

From the DOH website:
"Does it matter if I eat the same fruit and veg every day?
Different fruits and vegetables contain different combinations of fibre, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. So you should aim to include a variety of fruit and vegetables to get the most benefit."

i think each day it starts again

it is 5 different ones day...

so eating 5 apples does not mean you have had 5 portions of fruit veg / day... you have had 1!

its different ones causr they are all good in different ways!

portions smaller and I once read that children should aim for 5 but 3 or 4 are more than acceptable.

Message withdrawn

I agree with 3andnomore - it's the variety you get over a week or more that counts. Eating 5 apples one day, and 5 pears the next day, is fine, if that's what you feel like.

Thanks for that link!
And to Nanny...now I am not daft, I know that it isn't perfect to say eat the same fruit or veggie...but I still think that 5 apples would count as five a day....and that, as long as within the week you eat a good variety, then surely that is better then not eating any....

I would also look at f + v intake over the course of a week, rather than a day (although I would be a bit alarmed if one of my kids ate 5 bananas in one day!!).

I think juice counts as only 1 portion per day though regardless.

to get 5 portions into my DD a day, i give her a smoothie which is made of 3 different fruits and fruit juice, and then give her two portions of veg one at lunch and one at dinner