Fruit & Veg

[surreyman]

We are often told that we should have five portions of fruit & veg a day , but what constitutes a portion? With certain fruits it is easy   1 Apple = 1 portion but what about peas or grapes or pineapple or coconut?

[frizzytwig]

I read somewhere that a portion of peas etc would equal roughly 1 tablespoon.

[brawburd]

http://www.dole5aday.com/Grownups/Facts/G_ServingGuidelines.jsp

[druiaghtagh]

 My doctor told me to eat 5 pieces of fruit a day, so i do... 4 melons and an apple!!

[bernardo]

One definition which I heard was that a "portion" or carrots is five heaped tablespoonfuls.  But with carrots, that is a spectacularly stupid definition, because carrotys do not come in spoonfuls.  A more sensible definition which I have heard is that a portion is approximately the size of a fist.

[blanx]

1 glass of fruit juice can count as one of those five items.  On pre-packed fruit at the supermarket, they sometimes put how many pieces make up a portion.  Sometimes it is a suprisingly small amount, I think like 4 dried apricots etc.

[zgma]

I thought it was about 1/2 cup.

[marmaduke]

druiaghtagh, you're actually supposed to eat five different types of fruit, and five different types of vegetables. And a portion is pretty simple to work out surely, just what you'd normally have with your meal - so a couple of spoonfuls of peas, or a few carrots. An apple, a banana. What's important is to have a healthy, balanced diet where you can eat everything in sensible proportions.

[druiaghtagh]

 Marmaduke, it was a joke!