1.2 Five a day – or more?
The current UK healthy eating advice is at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. These provide a good source of vitamins and minerals, particularly folate, vitamin C and potassium, and dietary fibre, which is important for a healthy gut.
Large-scale studies also indicate that individuals who eat more fruit and vegetables have a lower risk of heart diseases, stroke and cancer. Fruit and vegetables are usually low in calories and fat, so they can help with weight control.
Activity 3 Eating five a day
Allow approximately 35 minutes.
First, watch the following video.
Now read the BBC article Seven-a-day fruit and veg ‘saves lives’ (Stephens, 2014).
How close do you get to your five (or seven) portions of fruit and vegetables a day?
Write two or three sentences in the box below. Click ‘Save’ when you are satisfied with what you have written.
OpenLearn - The science of nutrition and healthy eating
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