With the constant stream of world events vying for attention in the media, it takes a lot to make it into the headlines these days. Nonetheless, the latest results from the UK’s National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) did just that recently with some depressing news about our dietary habits. It won’t come as any surprise to learn that too many of us are still eating an unhealthy diet and are contributing to the rise in obesity in adults and children. The numbers are even worse for those living in deprivation amidst the rising double burdens of high food and energy costs. However, as someone who likes to take a deep dive into the nutrition numbers, I still found some of the figures startling. Especially when it comes to getting our basic ‘5-a-day’.

The NDNS covers data collected between October 2019 and July 2023 and clearly, the figures are heading in the wrong direction. It showed that, on average, less than one in ten children and only one in five adults ate 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Households living in deprived areas made up proportionally more of the dismally low numbers at the lower end of the scale, but households with the highest incomes didn’t exactly consume abundant portions of fruit and veg either. Despite the figures allowing for the pause in collection during Covid and the effect that it had on our diets, as a population, we still seem to be ignoring the ‘5-a-day’ message. Unless of course, you are in the very tiny minority at the upper end of the fruit and veg scale. Or if you are following yet another diet trend, maybe one that comes with the mantra to eat ‘30 plants-a-week’. You might have also bought into the app and even slapped on a glucose monitor or two to track your progress. In times like these, when many people are facing the cost-of-living crisis, it comes across as unrealistic at best and a little too much like virtue-signalling. It’s no wonder that the vast majority feel that getting our ‘5-a-day’ is completely out of reach. But I also fear that we have forgotten why we even should be aiming for ‘5-a-day’.  

In real life, most people see ‘5-a-day’ in the same way that ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’. In other words, they are just words that people keep parroting at each other rather than making an intention to do anything different. Nonetheless, they still underlie the widely accepted belief that we should be eating some fruit and veg every day to stay well. The ‘apple a day’ aphorism has been around for some time and first appeared in print in Wales back in 1866. However, the ‘5-a-day’ catch phrase is a much more recent adoption. In 2003, the UK government used ‘5-a-day’ as a slogan to promote recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO), which advised eating a minimum of 400g of fruit and vegetables a day to reduce the risk of developing heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and some cancers. Since a portion of fruit and veg equates to 80g, the ‘5-a-day’ advice was a much simpler message to try to get across to the masses.

Of course, it is worth pointing out some of the reasons how eating fruit and veg can help to reduce some of these risks. Firstly, fruit and veg are rich sources of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, all of which have a protective effect against illness and so will help to keep you fighting fit. Secondly, fruit and veg are very good sources of fibre which prevents constipation and reduces the risk of developing bowel cancer. Fibre is also very important for supporting a healthy gut and its microbiome. A healthy microbiome not only plays a key role in our digestion but is central to the functioning of our immune system. Thirdly, including more portions of fruit and veg in our diet will help to keep it in balance. In other words, if you are adding in more healthy fruit and veg into your diet every day then you will be replacing some of the other foods you would have eaten instead. Ideally, they would replace ones that are unhealthy and so your overall diet would be healthier and more nutritious which, in turn, will keep you to a healthy weight. Keeping to a healthy weight will also reduce your risk of developing ill health.

Although, what is easy to overlook is that the WHO recommendation is to consume at least ‘5-a-day’. Other countries, therefore, have gone further. Canada and Japan  advise eating at least 7 portions a day whereas France says you should be aiming for 10. Australia has mixed it up a bit by recommending eating 5 portions of veg and 2 of fruit. Although in the UK, the reality is that even the minimal ‘5-a-day’ message isn’t working. It’s important to also recognise that even if you get the message and understand how essential it is to eat a healthy diet, choosing to eat fruit and veg is not a simple behavioural choice but is an economic one, too. Not to mention, the added problem of food insecurity, when you live in an area where you do not even have access to fresh fruit and veg.  

Now how to fix this problem easily is only going to send me down a rabbit-hole of a broken food system that is marred by societal inequalities, a lack of government regulation, ‘big food’, the climate crisis, BREXIT and a never-ending list of other things that have gone wrong. But on the bright side, there are things that we already know that could help. Evidence has shown that targeting households with lower incomes by giving fruit and veg subsidies can increase consumption while also reducing inequalities. It could be a win-win in terms of being cost-effective and cheaper than doing nothing, but like many of the government’s competing priorities, we will have to wait until the autumn budget to see what happens. With recent government announcements regarding the expansion of free school meals, the shift to prevention in the upcoming10 Year Health Plan and the Good Food Cycle framework that supports ‘healthier eating, stronger food security and greener supply chains’, I have to be hopeful for a healthy change.

In the meantime, it is still worth trying to get the ‘5-a-day’ message out there so here are some top tips to doing it on a budget.

1. Eat seasonally Fruit and vegetables are not only at their best but they are always cheaper to buy when they are in season. Don’t know what’s in season? Check out: https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/seasons to find out and get some recipes too.
2. Reduce waste Get into the habit of making a shopping list. The amount of fruit and veg that is thrown away due to spoilage is practically criminal. So buy what you need and be prepared to freeze or batch cook anything leftover to eat for another day. Don’t know what to do with too much leftover fruit and veg or have a bit of buyer’s remorse? Try: https://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/foods-and-recipes for some recipe ideas.
3. Tins can be heroes Tinned and preserved fruit and vegetables still count towards your ‘5-a-day’ and can be very inexpensive. But check the labels and avoid fruit with added sugar and choose vegetables that are low in salt. Supermarket own brands and value brands (always somehow placed on the lower shelves) are often even healthier than the shiny packaged market-leaders.
4. Chill out Frozen fruit and vegetables also count towards your ‘5-a-day’. They can also be prepared in a microwave using very little energy. Like the tins, avoid those with added sauces or sugar.
5. Know what counts Potatoes and other starchy vegetables don’t count as part of your ‘5-a-day’, but up to 80g of beans or pulses will count as one portion. This is because although they are rich sources of fibre they are less nutrient dense. Dried fruit such as raisins, sultanas and prunes all count towards your ‘5-a-day’, but a portion is only a couple of tablespoons. Dried fruit is also high in sugar and should always be eaten with a meal to reduce your risk of tooth decay. Natural fruit juice and fruit smoothies are also very high in sugar and should be avoided (unless your choices are limited). A limit of 125ml of juice or a smoothie will count as one portion towards your ‘5-a-day’ so don’t make the mistake of thinking you can drink up your numbers. Not sure what else counts towards getting your ‘5-a-day’? Find an easy guide at: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/5-a-day/portion-sizes/

Hopefully, these ‘5-a-day’ tips will encourage you to up your portions. And if you are looking for something to eat while the UK heatwave continues, here’s a cooling recipe for a Summer salad that makes the most of seasonal veg.