5 fruit and veg a day?

[moose]

Two or three persimmons.

Oooh - I don't think I've had one of those - what are they like?

 

[cyberfairy]

Got a really quick veggie chilli recipe for you Cyberfairy

Zinedines Lazy Cheese and Bean Burritos

Flour Tortillas
Grated Cheese
1 Tin Mixed Spicy Beans
1 Tin Chopped Tinned Tomatos
2-3 handfuls Frozen Chopped pepers
2-3 cloves of garlic crushed
1 onion chopped
loads of Cumin
Loads of oregano
Tabasco sauce

Bung everything(except Tortillas and cheese) in saucepan until hot, taste it and add more spices if it needs it.

Bung some of the stuff on a flour tortilla- add cheese. Roll them up sprinkle more cheese on top. bung under grill until the cheese has melted.

It's lush served with salsa and guacamole (for bigger veg intake) and soured cream. Also serve with some veg or salad.

If you have a bit more time you could put veggie stock and red wine in with the mixture and simmer for a while until reduced.

yum..thankyou
lying in bed eating last nights veggie curry right now...so sort of healthy breakfast...maybe

 

[mentalchik]

Hardly eat fruit at all, some fruit juice and some vegetables every day though !

 

[D]

Oooh - I don't think I've had one of those - what are they like?

I think they're also called "sharonfruit". They're crisp and juicy and lovely and, the tasty ones (fuyu) look like orange tomatoes. There's another, conical variety that I loathe.

I forgot that I also ate a satsuma.

 

[moose]

Ah - I have had a sharon fruit, but you don't see them very often here.

 

[Zinedine*]

I think they're also called "sharonfruit". They're crisp and juicy and lovely and, the tasty ones (fuyu) look like orange tomatoes. There's another, conical variety that I loathe.

I forgot that I also ate a satsuma.

I had one once and it was minging, which I was suprised at as I love all fruit. Maybe I had a weird one

 

[Mrs Miggins]

I had one once and it was minging, which I was suprised at as I love all fruit. Maybe I had a weird one

I think they're horrible too.

Does jam count towards your fruit and veg portions?

 

[rennie]

I think they're horrible too.

Does jam count towards your fruit and veg portions?

nope. too much sugar in jam.

 

[acfj]

fruit juice and smoothies do not count.
because they do not contain FIBRE which is one of the reasons you need 5 a
day.

mushrooms don't count either

BTW - its actually 9 a day in America, because the nutritional content of fruit / veg is so low now. so 5 a day should be minimum!

its very easy to achieve if you have a few piece of fruit for snacks during the day and veg with your meal at night.

 

[WasGeri]

fruit juice and smoothies do not count.
because they do not contain FIBRE which is one of the reasons you need 5 a
day.

Only partially correct - one glass of fruit juice per day will count.

 

[WouldBe]

I might just manage to scrape 5 portions a day if you count coffee beans and cocoa beans as veg.

 

[WouldBe]

fruit juice and smoothies do not count.
because they do not contain FIBRE which is one of the reasons you need 5 a
day.

Does the fibre evaporate when you put it through a liquidiser

 

[Mrs Miggins]

Does the fibre evaporate when you put it through a liquidiser

heehee!

It must still count if you liquidise whole fruit but not if you just, say, juice an orange.

 

[Mrs Miggins]

nope. too much sugar in jam.

Shame - I was well on my way if it did

 

[Shmu]

It must still count if you liquidise whole fruit but not if you just, say, juice an orange.

The process of juicing also does something to sugar molecules which make them more agressive to dental enamel, so it is better to eat fruit, rather than drink the juice.

I have a very geeky attitude to food and nutrition, so I love researching dietary stuff and I eat loads of fruit and veg. Once you get into the habit of it, you find that you eat increasingly more portions of the stuff and start enjoying it more.

Cyberfairy, have you tried dried fruit such as cranberries and papaya? I combine these two and it tastes like eating jelly sweeties (although many brands do contain added sugar so this could explain why it is soo nice). My kids love these in their lunchboxes.

 

[Echo Base]

A Potato isnt a vegetable. Its a tubour/tuba/whatever. It doesnt count towards your day's allowance.

 

[WouldBe]

The process of juicing also does something to sugar molecules which make them more agressive to dental enamel, so it is better to eat fruit, rather than drink the juice.

I don't see how it could be altered by a physical process. If you chew the fruit properly wouldn't that be nearly the same as juicing the fruit anyway

 

[Shmu]

I don't see how it could be altered by a physical process. If you chew the fruit properly wouldn't that be nearly the same as juicing the fruit anyway

Well it is altered. That's food science.

I just checked on the site that Moose has linked to and, lo and behold:

"But fruit juice also contains a kind of sugar that can damage teeth, so it's best to drink it with a meal.

The sugars found naturally in whole fruit are less likely to cause tooth decay, because the sugar is contained within the structure of the fruit. But, when fruit is juiced or blended the sugar is released. Once released, these sugars can damage teeth, especially if fruit juice is drunk frequently." (check under "drinks" on the Food Standards Agency eatwell website).

I suspect that the difference between juicing and chewing the fruit is that when we chew, we produce a lot of saliva which helps to protect the teeth, but that's just a guess.

I've seen this cited elsewhere as one of the reasons (along with the issue of fibre) why juice is only allowed to count as one portion however much one drinks.

 

[WouldBe]

The sugars found naturally in whole fruit are less likely to cause tooth decay, because the sugar is contained within the structure of the fruit. But, when fruit is juiced or blended the sugar is released. Once released, these sugars can damage teeth, especially if fruit juice is drunk frequently." (check under "drinks" on the Food Standards Agency eatwell website).

So chewing an orange segment doesn't release the juice

Chewing will release more saliva and help reduce the acidity in the mouth.

I've seen this cited elsewhere as one of the reasons (along with the issue of fibre) why juice is only allowed to count as one portion however much one drinks.

This is what I don't understand about the '5 a day' thing.

Fibre should have nothing to do with it otherwise potatoes should count, as should anything containing wheat or rice like bread and pasta but they definately aren't vegetables. Fibre cannot be chemically altered by blending or liquidising either.

 

[Shmu]

So chewing an orange segment doesn't release the juice

Well, of course it releases some of the juice, it just doesn't do the same thorough job as a juicer would, now does it? So it would be less harmful to your teeth, than drinking juiced juice.

Chewing will release more saliva and help reduce the acidity in the mouth.

That is what I was suggesting.

This is what I don't understand about the '5 a day' thing.

Fibre should have nothing to do with it otherwise potatoes should count, as should anything containing wheat or rice like bread and pasta but they definately aren't vegetables. Fibre cannot be chemically altered by blending or liquidising either.

The benefits of eating fruit and vegetables are manifold. They include the fact that fruit and veg have high fibre content, high vitamin and mineral content and are low fat foods.

Why should fibre have nothing to do with it, just because it isn't the whole picture?

The five-a-day project aims to give a simple message, accessible to most people, because, overall, most people would benefit from eating more fruit and vegetables, but most people are not that interested in the ins and outs of dietary info, so it has obviously been decided that a rule sheet is helpful, even if it means simplifying the information.

 

[nino_savatte]

I often eat more than 5 helpings of fruit and veg a day; and I drink 2 litres of water a day. It isn't difficult when you know how.

 

[Shmu]

Cyberfairy, vegetable soup is easy to make and you can put some in the fridge for the next day. Just gently fry onions, carrots and celery, pour in some stock, add a couple of new potatoes, and/or parsnips, swede and some precooked beans/lentils/grains. Simmer for 30 mins, then add cauliflower, herbs and greens. Cook for 10 mins more, blend, season and eat.

Very easy, cheap and good for you.

As is cauliflower and broccoli cheese - eat it with bread and salad.

Roasted peppers, courgettes, tomatoes and onions with chunks of feta, all sprinkled with thyme and olive oil - eat it with rice or bread - so so easy and tasty.

Sausages and mash and fried onions and carrots and greens is very easy. And when you make your gravy, you can use the cooking water from the veg, which will contain the vitamins that have leached out during cooking. Hooray.

As others have said, if you start the day with some fruit, snack on carrots, cucumber, celery or fruit (fresh or dried) during the day, then you may well be 2-3 down already.

Have salad with things a lot. Always have frozen peas in.

I'm so sad that if I can't sleep, instead of counting sheep at night, I reflect on the fruit and veg I have eaten that day.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

I type this sat here with a half-finished 200g bar of chocolate in front of me, but never mind...

I am usually really good about the five-a-day thing - I love eating fruit - usually eat plenty every day, probably far more than five portions - and often make smoothies so get even more crammed in there (sadly I like adding cream to my smoothies, but what the hell )

I also have bags of nuts and sunflower seeds on my desk most of the time, and munch away at them.

And I eat lots of fish (trout for dinner tonight methinks) and good stuff like that. I probably have a very healthy diet overall, which probably explains why I am skinny, and offsets the alcohol intake

I find it really easy to eat this sort of stuff - it is just a habit I've got into over the years, and I don't often crave processed foods.

One thing I love is fresh carrot juice - lovely stuff and I sort of created a strange veg juice recipe a while back:

some broccoli
some spinach
some curly kale
a piece of ginger root
some carrots
some apples
some grapes

juice the lot, and you end up with a very dark green juice - smells a bit funny, but tastes nice, and makes you feel fantastic

ooops - the chocolate has gone now

 

[maya]

...who on earth can afford 5 fruits and veg a day?
i usually have enough cash for an apple of two and that's it-
you don't need more anyhum, it's not fat-free in any case...
and moderation is always a good thing.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

...who on earth can afford 5 fruits and veg a day?

I think it is easy (for me anyway - wouldn't wish to assume anything about anyone else, and I'm not assuming you buy processed food by the way - just using your post as an example ) to afford five a day - I don't buy processed food, and just buy basic stuff which I cook into different stuff, and this means that it is easy to afford the fruit and veg - processed food has, inevitably, a huge profit margin, or 'added-value' as they call it, so I don't tend to buy it as I resent handing over loads of cash for something which costs them a fraction of the price to make, when I can make it perfectly well myself.

I prefer to eat fruit over many things anway - well, maybe apart from a nice bacon butty which I'll happily fork out for

 

[Shmu]

I think it is easy (for me anyway - wouldn't wish to assume anything about anyone else, and I'm not assuming you buy processed food by the way - just using your post as an example ) to afford five a day - I don't buy processed food, and just buy basic stuff which I cook into different stuff, and this means that it is easy to afford the fruit and veg - processed food has, inevitably, a huge profit margin, or 'added-value' as they call it, so I don't tend to buy it as I resent handing over loads of cash for something which costs them a fraction of the price to make, when I can make it perfectly well myself.

I prefer to eat fruit over many things anway - well, maybe apart from a nice bacon butty which I'll happily fork out for

Totally agree. Don't have much money here, but buying seasonal vegetables, (at the moment lots of red cabbage, green cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and onions) and cooking from scratch is quite cheap. I don't think I could do this cheaper without the veg.

 

[WouldBe]

...who on earth can afford 5 fruits and veg a day?
i usually have enough cash for an apple of two and that's it-
you don't need more anyhum, it's not fat-free in any case...
and moderation is always a good thing.

The number of blood tests I've had recently you wouldn't believe. Non of which have found anything wrong with my diet.

How many portions of fruit / veg a day do I eat? ONE

So make what you like of the 5 a day rule.

 

[WasGeri]

...who on earth can afford 5 fruits and veg a day?
i usually have enough cash for an apple of two and that's it-
you don't need more anyhum, it's not fat-free in any case...
and moderation is always a good thing.

Oh please. Veg is hardly expensive, is it? What could you buy that's cheaper than a carrot?

 

[WasGeri]

The number of blood tests I've had recently you wouldn't believe. Non of which have found anything wrong with my diet.

How many portions of fruit / veg a day do I eat? ONE

So make what you like of the 5 a day rule.

Right - if you're so healthy, why do you need to have loads of blood tests?

 

[WouldBe]

Right - if you're so healthy, why do you need to have loads of blood tests?

Query MS. Which has nothing to do with diet. But the GP's don't want it to be that so they keep repeating the blood tests at regular intervals in the hope of finding signs of something else.