Fruit and vegetables
Fruit and vegetables are low in calories and high in fibre, vitamins, minerals and plant compounds, which is why UK advice is at least 5 portions a day.
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Why they matter
- Lower risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer and early death. In a large analysis, risk kept falling up to about 800 g a day, or 10 portions1.
- Fibre, potassium, folate and vitamins C and A.
- Volume without many calories: the secret weapon when you're cutting.
What counts as a portion
| Food | One portion | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh, frozen or canned fruit and veg | 80 g | Frozen and canned count |
| Dried fruit | 30 g | Best eaten with meals, for your teeth |
| Fruit juice or smoothie | 150 ml | Counts once a day at most |
| Beans and pulses | 80 g | Count once a day at most |
| Potatoes, yams, cassava | Don't count | They're starchy foods |
Best high-volume foods for cutting
| Food | kcal per 100 g |
|---|---|
| Iceberg lettuce | 14 |
| Cucumber | 15 |
| Courgette | 17 |
| Watermelon | 30 |
| Strawberries | 32 |
| Broccoli, boiled | 35 |
| Carrots | 41 |
| Orange | 47 |
| Apple | 52 |
| Blueberries | 57 |
| Banana | 89 |
Values from USDA FoodData Central3. Filling half your plate with vegetables lets you eat the same volume of food for far fewer calories, which is how you stay full in a deficit. See Cutting without losing muscle.
Common myths
MythFrozen vegetables are less nutritious than fresh.
FactFrozen produce is picked and frozen quickly, and in testing its vitamin content matched or beat fresh produce that had been stored for a few days4.
MythFruit is too high in sugar.
FactThe sugar inside whole fruit isn't a free sugar, and fruit comes with fibre and water that fill you up. It's juice and smoothies to keep to 150 ml a day.
MythPotatoes count as one of your 5 a day.
FactThey're a starchy food, like bread and rice. Sweet potatoes, parsnips and swede do count.
Track this in NutriLog
Make healthy meals repeatable
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References
- Aune D, Giovannucci E, Boffetta P, et al. Fruit and vegetable intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease, total cancer and all-cause mortality: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies. Int J Epidemiol. 2017;46(3):1029-1056. doi:10.1093/ije/dyw319
- NHS. 5 A Day portion sizes. nhs.uk.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central. fdc.nal.usda.gov.
- Li L, Pegg RB, Eitenmiller RR, Chun JY, Kerrihard AL. Selected nutrient analyses of fresh, fresh-stored, and frozen fruits and vegetables. J Food Compos Anal. 2017;59:8-17. doi:10.1016/j.jfca.2017.02.002