Fruit, vegetables and fibre – we all know that they’re good for us but the reality is that many of us do not eat enough. The Plymouth Report 2023 highlights this as an issue for adults (just 52% of adults in Plymouth were estimated to eat the recommended 5 A day in 2019-20) and particularly so for children and young people.
In a 2022 health-related behaviour survey of secondary school pupils in Plymouth, 17 per cent reported eating five or more portions of fruit and vegetables on the day prior to the survey, whilst a total of 13 per cent stated that they ate no fruit or veg on the day prior to the survey.
So how can caterers play a role in ensuring we all get enough of them, with five fruit and veg portions and up to 30g of fibre recommended per day?
First things first, let’s get clear on what counts as a portion of fruit, veg or fibre with help from the NHS England’s 5 A Day guide:
Fruit and vegetables:
- 80g of fresh, canned or frozen fruit and vegetables counts as 1 portion of your 5 A Day (but not potatoes and some other starchy foods). For tinned or canned fruit and vegetables, choose those in natural juice or water, with no added sugar or salt.
- 30g of dried fruit (this is equivalent to around 80g of fresh fruit) counts as 1 portion of your 5 A Day. Dried fruit should be eaten at mealtimes, not as a between-meal snack, to reduce the risk of tooth decay.
Fibre
Government guidelines say our dietary fibre intake should increase to 30g a day, as part of a healthy balanced diet. As most adults are only eating an average of about 20g day, we need to find ways of increasing our intake.
Children don’t need as much fibre in their diet as older teenagers and adults, but they still need more than they get currently:
- 2 to 5 year-olds need about 15g of fibre a day
- 5 to 11 year-olds need about 20g
- 11 to 16 year-olds need about 25g
On average, children aged 11 to 18 are getting 16g a day. Encouraging them to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables and starchy foods (choosing wholegrain versions and potatoes with the skins on where possible) can help to ensure they are eating enough fibre.
Be aware that some portions can only be counted once within a day:
- 150ml of fruit juice, vegetable juice or smoothie. Limit the amount you drink to a combined total of 150ml a day. Crushing fruit and vegetables into juice and smoothies releases the sugars they contain, which can damage teeth. Juices and smoothies should be consumed at mealtimes, not as a between-meal snack, to reduce the risk of tooth decay.
- 80g of beans and pulses. These only count once as part of your 5 A Day, no matter how many you eat. This is because although they’re a good source of fibre, they contain fewer nutrients than other fruits and vegetables.
And what about potatoes – do they count as one of our 5 A Day? Well, although providing some vitamin C, NHS England have this to say:
When eaten as part of a meal, potatoes are generally used in place of other sources of starch, such as bread, pasta or rice. Because of this, they don’t count towards your 5 A Day. Other vegetables that don’t count towards your 5 A Day are yams, cassava and plantain. They’re also usually eaten as starchy foods.
Sweet potatoes, parsnips, swedes and turnips do count towards your 5 A Day because they’re usually eaten in addition to the starchy food part of the meal.
Potatoes play an important role in your diet, even if they don’t count towards your 5 A Day. It’s best to eat them without any added salt or fat. They’re also a good source of fibre, so leave the skins on where possible to keep in more of the fibre and vitaminsFor example, if you’re having boiled potatoes or a jacket potato, make sure you eat the skin, too.
In a healthy balanced diet, fruit and vegetables should make up just over a third of the food we eat, keeping us healthy thanks to their vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Fruit and vegetables are also good source of fibre which can help control cholesterol levels, help us feel full for longer and keep our bowels healthy.
Not eating enough fruit and vegetables is associated with increased risk of several diseases, including heart disease, cancer and stroke, whilst there is strong evidence that eating plenty of fibre (commonly referred to as roughage) is associated with a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer.
What about starchy foods?
Starchy foods are an important part of a healthy diet and should also make up just over a third of the food we eat. As the main source of carbohydrate in our diets, they are a good source of energy. Commonly eaten starchy foods include rice, potatoes, chapatti and cereals.
Wholegrain food has more fibre and nutrients than white or refined starchy food. We should eat more wholegrain alternatives, such as brown rice, wholegrain pasta and brown bread, where we can. As we digest wholegrain food more slowly, it can help us to feel fuller for longer.
How caterers can help boost fruit, veg and fibre
There are lots of ways that caterers can take action to boost the amounts of fruit, vegetables and fibre in their meals and products. Here are some ideas to get you started.
Fruit
- Have fresh fruit options available as snacks
- Include more fruit-based desserts on your menu, such as berries with a no-added sugar yoghurt
Vegetables
- Always include plenty of vegetables as an integral element of stews, curries, soups and sauces
- Always offer side salads and / or vegetables with your meals
- Bulk out dishes with pureed and minced vegetables
- Consider replacing some of the meat in your dishes with beans and pulses
- Consider offering vegetable based snacks, such as salads, cherry tomatoes, carrot sticks or cucumber sticks with hummus
Fibre
- High fibre snacks to offer include nuts, seeds and wholegrain, oat or rye crackers
- Switch to wholegrain options when sourcing rice, cereals and pasta
- Offer wholegrain baked goods, whether breads, scones, chapattis or cakes
- Skins on is the way to go with potatoes and vegetables – put that peeler down!
- Stews, curries and salads can all benefit from adding pulses such as lentils, beans and chickpeas
Further resources to help you boost fruit, veg and fibre
NHS England – How to get more fibre into your diet
NHS England – Starchy food and carbohydrates
Join the Veg Cities Plymouth campaign
Resource created: November 2023
Photos by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash and Louise Hansel on Unsplash.