Beet & Chocolate Smoothie (Minimalist Baker)
NHS says we should eat ‘five a day’ portions of fruits and vegetables. But what items count (fresh, tinned, frozen, white potatoes, juice?)
Avoid too many greens (or grapefruit) if you take medication (check paper inserts). Avoid choking hazard fresh produce for children and people with swallowing difficulties (cherries, cherry tomatoes, carrot sticks etc).
Read more on food safety for people and pets. If growing food, learn how to make your garden safe for pets.
England leads the world in that we tend to eat more fresh produce than most countries, though younger people are eating less (Tesco recently gave away ‘free vegetables’ (or sell them for 1p, as long as parents buy a plastic-wrapped smoothie pouch at the same time).
Many low-income areas are ‘food deserts’ where the shops only sell frozen pizza and chips, with the odd plastic-wrapped non-organic banana or tomato. Frozen fresh produce is good.
Real food communities are key: farmers’ markets and affordable farm shops teeming with fresh organic produce from local farms, walkable communities to people-owned supermarkets and community gardens where people grow their own food, alongside others.
Although they have good heart, food banks giving away junk food that kind people donate when shopping, is not really the long-term answer.
If you don’t like munching on organic apples or making salad, there are other ways. You can also eat tinned fruits and vegetables (packed with water or juice) though dried fruit is not god in excess due to sugar, just use for snacks or recipes.
Fresh fruit is always best over juice, homemade smoothies are better, which also contain fibre. NHS also includes one portion as beans and pulses (baked beans on toast is included!) Or add lentils to your spaghetti with tomato sauce.
What’s not included are tiny amounts in ready-meals, which also have a lot of fat, salt and sugar. Rather than scour labels, just learn to cook your own simple meals, for better cost and bigger portions. For instance, adding fresh fire-roasted tomatoes is better than buying a watery jar of more-expensive pasta sauce from the supermarket.
The same goes for fruits. Buying a ready-made fruit dessert from the supermarket won’t count. But making these Strawberry Muffins (The Simple Veganista) would, as they contain fresh berries as one of the main ingredients.
What About White Potatoes?
White Potatoes do contain nutrition (sweet potatoes have more – try these air-fryer sweet potato fries by Broke Bank Vegan). They don’t count as one of your five-a-day, but as a dstarch. They form a good base to help keep you full. Homegrown spuds are better than non-stop servings of white pasta, and also contain B vitamins, potassium and vitamin C and fibre (if you leave skins on).
Root vegetables do count (parsnip, swede). Indulge in mashed peppered swede and roast parsnips, for your Sunday veggie lunch!
How Much is 80g in Portion Size?
Spinach Pear Smoothie (The Natural Nurturer)
As a rough guide, 80g should fit in the palm of your hand. So we’re talking:
- 1 apple, pear or peach (or 2 plums, apricots, cherries, strawberries)
- Half a larger fruit (grapefruit, pineapple, melon (store cantaloupe melon away from other foods, due to slight risk of salmonella).
- 2 tinned pear or peach halves, 6 apricot halves, 8 segments of grapefruit
- A few heaped tablespoons of fresh greens, carrots, peas, cauliflower (spinach cooks down a lot, so use more)
- A few celery sticks, cherry tomatoes or 1 celery stick)
NHS Healthy Start Scheme
Blueberry Banana Bread (Ela Vegan)
Families on low income benefits qualify for NHS Healthy Start Vouchers, which let you buy fruits and vegetables. The scheme also offers dairy milk (pooh-poohed by nutritionists, as many children especially ethic minorities are lactose-intolerant). So don’t get the option of help for calcium-rich plant-based alternatives.
The vouchers can be used to buy fresh, tinned and frozen fruits, vegetables and pulses. The Vegan Society has also criticised the scheme for being discriminatory, for only offering a supplement made with vitamin D from animal fat.
