Most of us know by now that in order to stay healthy we're supposed to eat at a minimum five portions of fruit and vegetables every day, as recommended by the Food Standards Agency. Sounds pretty straight forward until you start to think about the fact that we aren't really ever told what counts as a portion.
One portion of fruit and veg is usually about 80g, but that's not much help when you're on the run or your scales are at the back of the cupboard.
Guidelines such as these can be confusing, and so we've put together this handy portion guide to make sure you're getting enough of what you need.
With things like apples and bananas, the rule is pretty straightforward - one apple equals one portion. But with little bits of veg such as broccoli, it's not quite so simple. Here you can see that two spears of broccoli is all you need to tick off one of your five a day. Pretty easy, so get cooking and give some of these broccoli recipes a try:
Broccoli and chilli beef stir fry
Broccoli with crispy bacon, mozzarella and basil dressing
Broccoli and tuna pasta bake
Broccoli and chilli spaghetti
Mushrooms are great because they can be used in such a variety of dishes but you might not be eating quite enough for them to count as one of those important five.
You may think that by chucking a couple in a sandwich or a stir-fry you're getting all you need, but you actually have to eat a whopping 14 button mushrooms, or three handfuls of sliced mushrooms for them to count as one portion. Don't let that put you off though, we've got lots of delicious mushroom recipes for you to make at home, so why not give one of these a try:
Chicken and mushroom pie
Mushroom pesto and spinach lasagne
Stuffed mushroom burgers
Garlic mushroom pasta bake
The general rule for getting one portion of vegetables is to measure out three heaped tablespoons. This is just a rough guideline but for sliced carrots, it's spot on which makes things nice and easy. Here's some great carrot recipes which your family will love:
Carrot and leek soup
Baked chicken with carrots
Carrots roasted with parsnips
Beef and carrot casserole
Spiced carrot salad
You may be sick of the sight of sprouts at this time of year, but if not they're a great, easy-to-cook vegetable to bump up your five-a-day count. The only problem is you've got to eat eight of them for them to count as just one portion! If that hasn't put you off, why not give some of these a go:
Brussel sprout masala
Shallot and sprout bubble and squeak cakes
Parma ham and chesnut sprouts
Brussels sprouts with honey and mustard
If you're cooking with spinach, because of how much it wilts when heated, you only need two heaped tablespoons to make up one portion, as opposed to the standard three. If you're not sure of how best to fit it into your diet, or how to disguise it enough so that your kids will eat it, we've got a few ideas that may help:
Mushroom, pesto and spinach lasagne
Spinach and pine nut gnocchi
Chorizo and potato spinach bake
Goat's cheese and spinach pizza
Chickpea and spinach curry
Creamy smoked haddock and spinach pie
Peas are another family favourite because they're so quick to cook. For these, it's back to the three heaped tablespoon rule - simple to dish out on the side of your kids' dinner plates as one easy portion. But if you're feeling more adventurous, we've got some fancier ways to cook your peas:
Pea and watercress soup
Pea and mint risotto
Asparagus and pea tart
Mild pea and sweet potato curry
Pea and bacon pasta
Great in salads and sandwiches, you need to eat half a cucumber a day to get the benefits. It's quite doable really, if you have a little bit for lunch and then some in a side salad for dinner. But if you need more inspiration, here's some ideas of how to squeeze half a cucumber into your meals:
Cucumber, avocado and prawn salad
Trout fillets with pea and cucumber
Cucumber and yogurt dip
Cucumber and mango salad
Blueberries are really good for you, with them even being named as a superfood. Four heaped tablespoons, or three handfuls if you can't balance them on a spoon, is enough to make up one portion. You could just eat them on their own or make them into one of these tasty dishes:
Blueberry pancakes
Blueberry and kiwi smoothie
Scotch pancakes
Dark berry and nutty crumble
Grapes are great to snack on if you're dieting but can't face the hunger pains, but just make sure you get through at least a handful of them. They make a perfect lunchbox food or squeeze them in at breakfast with some yogurt and cereal. Why not try these out at home:
Yogurt and grape breakfast
Chicken braised with sherry vinegar and grapes
Fruity three cheese salad
Pomegranates are another superfood so they're a great one to fit into your diet. For it to count as one portion, you need to eat a cupful or a generous handful - something that should be quite easy as they're so moreish! Here are some ways to make them into meals if you're stuck for ideas:
Peppered feta and pomegranate salad
Beetroot and pomegranate soup
Pink pomegranate cocktail
Pineapple is another one which can be confusing when it comes to portion size. The whole fruit rule that applies to bananas and apples thankfully isn't the same here because munching your way through a whole pineapple would take quite some time. The good news is that you can get a portion of fruit in just one slice of pineapple so a whole fruit will go a long way to bumping up your family's daily five-a-day count. Try out these suggestions for easy meals you can make with pineapple at home:
Chicken and pineapple kebabs
Waffles with honeyed pineapple and ice cream
Cajun spiced chicken with pineapple salsa
Sweet and sour glazed pork with pineapple