Almost all fruit and vegetables count towards your 5 A DAY. That’s why it’s so easy to ensure you get your five portions.
Fruit and vegetables don’t have to be fresh to count as a portion. Nor do they have to be eaten on their own. Fruit or vegetables also count if they're part of a meal or dish.
To find out how much is in a portion, see 5 A DAY portion sizes.
What counts?
The following count towards your 5 A DAY:
- Fresh fruit and vegetables.
- Frozen fruit and vegetables.
- Tinned or canned fruit and vegetables. Buy the ones tinned in natural juice or water, with no added sugar or salt.
- Dried fruit, such as currants, dates, sultanas and figs.
- Fruit and vegetables cooked in dishes such as soups, stews or pasta dishes.
- A glass (150ml) of unsweetened 100% fruit or vegetable juice. Juice counts as a maximum of one portion a day, however much you drink. That's mainly because juice contains less fibre than whole fruits and vegetables.
- Smoothies. A smoothie containing all of the edible pulped fruit and/or vegetable may count as more than one portion but this depends on how it's made. Smoothies count as up to a maximum of two portions per day. For more details, see 5 A DAY FAQs.
- Beans and pulses. These only count as one portion a day, no matter how many you eat. That's because they contain fewer nutrients than other fruits and vegetables.
- Fruit and veg in convenience foods, such as ready meals and shop-bought pasta sauces, soups and puddings. Some ready-made foods are high in salt, sugar and fat, so only have them occasionally or in small amounts. You can find the salt, sugar and fat content of ready-made foods on the label. For more information, see Understanding food labels.
There is more information on what counts towards your 5 A DAY at this fruit and veg questions page on the Eatwell website.
What doesn’t count?
Potatoes are a vegetable, but they don't count towards your 5 A DAY. That's because the main nutrient in potatoes is carbohydrate (starch). When we eat them as part of a meal, they are generally used in place of other sources of carbohydrate, such as bread, pasta or rice. Therefore, potatoes are classified as a starchy food. Other vegetables that don't count towards your 5 A DAY are yams, cassava and plantain.
However, other root vegetables such as sweet potatoes, parsnips, swedes and turnips do count. That is because they are usually eaten as a vegetable alongside the main starchy food in a meal.
A wide variety
To get the most benefit from your five portions, eat a wide variety of fruit and vegetables.
For 5 A DAY recipe ideas, see 5 A DAY recipes.
For more information about a healthy, balanced diet, take a look at Good food.
If you have an enquiry about 5 A DAY, please email: fiveaday@dh.gsi.gov.uk
