Five portions of fruit and vegetables a day – a familiar mantra for those concerned about their own and their children’s health – may not, after all, be enough, according to a new report by scientists, who suggest we should instead be aiming for seven a day, and mostly vegetables at that. Alarmingly for some who thought they were doing the right thing, tinned and frozen fruit may not be helpful at all.

– Make that seven portions a day, and mostly vegetables, scientists say

Given this new information, what we need to do is take the American approach, and helpfully reclassify what meets the criteria of ‘vegetable’

This, for example….

5 was chosen as it was considered more achievable, at least people might get 3 or 4, set it at 7 and people would see it as unachievable and not bother. It’s a shame public health goes this way, listened to an interesting documentary on food labeling, health professionals said traffic lights are the way to go but as there is only Good/OK/Bad food companies will never play ball so all sorts of different watered down systems appear.

Sadly mike, common sense gets diluted/watered down all the time. Eat more fruit can be classed with BMI, “EL,MM”, portion sizes etc as simple, useful messages that people would prefer to ignore. The R4 coverage was quite depressing this morning re the effective dumbing down of the message.

I just don’t get it, shouldn’t society be promoting a healthy working life followed by a swift end? Forget this ideal of a long, decrepit retirement. Carousel at age 35 gets my vote 🙂

The person from public health on the new managed to contradict herself in a very short statement:

1. 31% of people don’t eat 5-a-day
2. 5-a-day is a simple message that people understand

So, we won’t change it. Genius.

R_B – no, mate, they need us oldies to carry on providing child care to our working offspring and doing voluntary work, thereby helping keep the country running and attractive to foreign tourists.

I had two packs of Mini-cheddars this morning, so that’s 2 of my 5 covered.

Baked beans are on the list. Is cider?

Scary: “the majority of people know they should eat five a day and only 25% manage that”

3 in 4 don’t eat 5-a-day?

Cider has as many antioxidants as red wine, so I say yes.

No idea where I heard that. Might have just imagined it. Maybe only proper cloudy West Country stuff from an opaque container counts.

Breakfast of champions there footflaps!

A Big Mac contains both lettuce and a Gherkin. With the reclassified fries you’re half way there already. Have it twice a day and you’re laughing, and the Department of Health will be holding you up as a model citizen

Is cheese on the list? That could be the lot covered

Does it have to be opaque? I was hoping the stuff we bought in steel jerrycans from round the back of a derelict farmhouse counted. The rust added to the bouquet.

See where folks are coming from re the 5 vs 7 but it’s basically just pragmatism, if there’s more benefits to promoting 5 a day then 7 than there’s little argument that they shouldn’t do just that.

Do chocolate covered raisins count?

get the aldi (or is it lidl?) chocolate covered cranberries and raisins. that way you get 2 of 5 instead of 1 of 5.

The person from public health on the new managed to contradict herself in a very short statement:

1. 31% of people don’t eat 5-a-day
2. 5-a-day is a simple message that people understand

No she didn’t. Understanding the message and acting upon it are two different things. I understand I should eat 5 a day, but I don’t.

Even if we can’t get cheese on the list, a Greggs cheese and onion pasty still contains onions. Does the multiples argument still hold? So instead of the sausage roll chaser, another pasty would represent another one of the 7

Hang on a minute…. I’ve just had a thought…. 2 cornish pasties could easily do all 7 in one sitting?

Breakfast of champions there footflaps!

Don’t knock it, they’re made with read Cheese and oven baked. Probably worth more than 2 of my 5.

I wasn’t knocking it mate. Mini chedders are one of mankind’s greatest triumphs, and therefore the ideal breakfast. I’ve just had a load of toast with this on…..

It counts too doesn’t it? It contains….erm…. stuff

I’d have to really start planning my meals carefully if I was going to try to eat less than 7 portion of fruit & veg a day.

I would say I don’t know how other people manage it, but sadly, I look in their trolleys at the supermarket and know it is quite easy.

No she didn’t. Understanding the message and acting upon it are two different things.

She implied that the 5-a-day campaign was effective, when it clearly isn’t.

I understand I should eat 5 a day, but I don’t.

Can I ask why?

I don’t think I eat especially unhealthily, but I know I could eat more fruit and veg.

Yesterday:
Brekkie: Weetabix with some sultanas and a glass of fresh juice + crumpet and cup of tea.
Lunch: Ham and tomato roll and a packet of crisps, plus another glass of fresh juice
Dinner: Tagliateli with bacon, onions, tomatoes and mushrooms

Is that 5 a day? A few mushrooms in my pasta surely don’t count as a “portion”, do they? I don’t tend to snack on fruit like some people, so it always feels like I’m not eating enough fruit and veg.

I liked this bit;

Eating at least seven portions of fresh fruit and vegetables a day was linked to a 42% lower risk of death from all causes.

Bubble & Squeak for breakfast and baked potato for dinner, followed by banana custard means I’m less likely to get run over by a truck while cycling to work.

Me, today:

* breakfast includes raisin and banana = 2 fruit
* dinner includes beans, onion, baby sweetcorn, mange tout, salad leaves, red pepper = 7 veg
* tea includes green beans, carrots and broccoli = 3 veg

That’s 12-a-day on a fairly standard work day.

At least one lady on R4 simple said, even if you have only 1 or 2 portions a day, that is positive and better than none. News nudged me to my third piece iPod fruit today. If only I had not had the same number of coffees!!

Can I ask why?

I’ve had the same diet for pretty much my entire life. I would never have said it was especially unhealthy and prior to the 5-a-day campaign always felt it was a good balanced diet (with occasional transgressions, natch). The 5 a day campaign is about 5 portions of fruit and veg per day. I might add veg into a dish I’m cooking, but it’s hardly a full portion.

I could eat more fruit, for example, but I feel like I’m eating it for the sake of eating rather than because of hunger

Is that 5 a day? A few mushrooms in my pasta surely don’t count as a “portion”, do they? I don’t tend to snack on fruit like some people, so it always feels like I’m not eating enough fruit and veg.

I’m not sure if mushrooms count as a vegetable. A ‘portion’ is about the size of the palm of your hand.

Snacking on fruit is bad – sugar.

I might add veg into a dish I’m cooking, but it’s hardly a full portion.

It is, if you add enough.

Oh, oh ! The problem is, will Fred the Farmer be able to keep up with demand for all those extra turnips and apples. Oh lordy, I suspect not. Then what shall we do ?
🙁

If only we knew of some way to save ourselves and develop a technology to grow huge quantities of vegetables, low cost.

Won’t anyone think of the children !

Your 12-a-day example is a bit optimistic. This is the whole daft thing about the 5 a day message. The devil is in the detail and is often overlooked.

From the NHS website:

The 5 A DAY message highlights the health benefits of getting five 80g portions of fruit and vegetables every day.

If you have 80g of raisins on your porridge I’d be extremely surprised…and impressed.

Can I ask why?

Because pies are better than bananas, silly. And roast beef flavour Monster Munch are better than aubergines too. And, lets be brutally frank; chips are better than cauliflowers.

Mushrooms – I looooove mushrooms… Please count them as a vegetable. Please?

Snacking on fruit is bad – sugar.

An interesting point, the message from R4 (well from one of the guests) was “eat more fruit” without any qualification. It’s a bit like drink water in the marathon. More people have died (I think) from over hydration than under hydration in the London marathon.

There’s quite a bit of evidence that 5 a day has been quite successful I think – it’s just that we were starting from a very low base.

Sadly mike, common sense gets diluted/watered down all the time. Eat more fruit can be classed with BMI, “EL,MM”, portion sizes etc as simple, useful messages that people would prefer to ignore. The R4 coverage was quite depressing this morning re the effective dumbing down of the message.

Except that they’re saying we should eat more vegetables, not more fruit. I suspect many people get most of their five a day (or whatever proportion of that) through fruit anyway, eg fruit juice, smoothies and tinned fruit in syrup – none of which are really that good for you.

Brekkie: Weetabix with some sultanas and a glass of fresh juice + crumpet and cup of tea.
Lunch: Ham and tomato roll and a packet of crisps, plus another glass of fresh juice
Dinner: Tagliateli with bacon, onions, tomatoes and mushrooms
I pity your pancreas.

I’m not sure if mushrooms count as a vegetable
Fungi ?

I pity your pancreas.

Why?

* tea includes green beans, carrots and broccoli = 3 veg

I find Darjeeling or English Breakfast with a splash of milk works best, but each to his own. 😈

The person from public health on the new managed to contradict herself in a very short statement:

1. 31% of people don’t eat 5-a-day
2. 5-a-day is a simple message that people understand

So, we won’t change it. Genius.

69% compliance to a dietary recommendation would normally be considered a triumph in public health terms. 🙂 And just because some people choose to eat nothing but pies doesn’t mean they don’t understand the 5-a-day message. They just don’t choose to do it.

I sincerely doubt that more than two-thirds of the population is having five a day though.

Can someone please answer something for me which as always bugged me about this campaign? WTF is a “portion” in this context?

Saying you should eat 7 portions rather than 5 is meaningless if I’m eating seven grapes and you’re eating five watermelons.

COugar, see my post above. NHS define it as 80g

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/5ADAY/Pages/Why5ADAY.aspx

5 A DAY is based on advice from the World Health Organization, which recommends eating a minimum of 400g of fruit and vegetables a day to lower the risk of serious health problems