5-a-day made easy!
The government recommends we eat at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. An adult portion of fruit or vegetables is 80g and for a child, a rough guide is 1 portion = the amount they can fit in the palm of their hand.
Within the UK, only a third of adults and less than 10% of teenagers reach the 5-a-day target and there can sometimes be confusion as to what counts as a portion. So we are breaking it down for you in a practical, visual way to let you know what counts, and how much you need to eat or a portion.
As one portion weighs 80g, that’s roughly equivalent to one whole fruit like an apple, pear, or peach. Sometimes you need to eat two of the same fruits to make up 80g, such as satsumas. It’s slightly different for dried fruit where a portion is 30g, which is about 3 tablespoons and fruit juice only counts once a day with a portion being 150ml.
So what counts?
🌱 = Get It From The Source
Dried Fruit
A portion of dried fruit is around 30g.
- 1 heaped tablespoon of raisins, currants, or sultanas 🌱
- 1 tablespoon of tropical fruit mix 🌱
- 2 figs 🌱
- 3 prunes 🌱
- 3 dried dates 🌱
- 1 handful of dried banana chips, mango, or apricots 🌱
Pulses and Beans
However, many beans and pulses you eat throughout the day only ever count as 1 portion a day.
- 3 heaped tablespoons of baked beans, haricot beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, cannellini beans 🌱
- 80g serving of Green, Red, or Black lentils 🌱
Fresh fruit
A portion of fruit depends on the size of the fruit, small-sized fruit portions are 2 or more of the small fruit, medium-sized is 1 piece of fruit and large fruit is generally a slice or half of the fruit.
- 2 plums
- 2 satsumas
- 2 kiwi fruit
- 3 apricots
- 7 strawberries
- 14 cherries
- Apple
- Banana
- Orange
- Pear
- Nectarine
- Half a grapefruit
- Slice of papaya
- 1 slice of melon
- 1 large slice of pineapple
- 2 slices of mango
Tinned or canned fruit
A portion is roughly the same quantity as fresh fruit, choose fruit canned in natural juice rather than syrup
- 2 pear or peach halves
- 6 apricot halves
- 8 segments of tinned grapefruit
Fresh Vegetables
- 2 Broccoli spears
- 4 heaped tablespoons of cooked kale, spinach, spring greens, or green beans
- 3 heaped tablespoons of carrots, peas, or sweetcorn
- 8 cauliflower florets
- 5cm piece of cucumber
- 1 medium tomato
- 7 cherry tomatoes
Tinned and frozen vegetables
A portion is roughly the same quantity as a fresh portion and for tinned veggies choose canned in water with no added salt or sugar.
- 3 heaped tablespoons of tinned or frozen carrots, peas, or sweetcorn
- 2 broccoli spears
- 8 cauliflower florets
Juices
Only count as once a day and one portion is 150ml
- 150ml unsweetened fresh fruit juice
- 150ml smoothie
- 150ml vegetable juice
Information sources:
NHS Website:
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/5-a-day/portion-sizes/
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/5-a-day/5-a-day-what-counts/