Fruit and vegetables and health
Image by Jasmine Lin from Pixabay
Fruit and vegetables are packed with a wide variety of nutrients, which help to reduce our risk of heart disease, stroke, and some cancers. But how many serves of fruit and vegetables do we need for health and what ‘counts’?
How many fruit and vegetables do I need to eat each day for my health?
Not all fruit and vegetables are created equal. While fruit and vegetables have much in common from a nutrient perspective, they also have some key differences, especially when it comes to their composition of phytonutrients. For this reason, it is recommended that we aim to eat a variety of at least 5 + serves of vegetables and fruit each day for health benefits. This equates to 3 or more serves of vegetables and 2 or more serves of fruit. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends a minimum of 400g of fruit and vegetables per day (excluding potatoes and other starchy tubers) to help prevent disease such as heart disease and some cancers. Evidence suggests that you will gain additional health benefits for eating more - so don’t just stop at 5!
Image by Ulrike Leone from Pixabay
Eat a rainbow
Try to choose a variety of different coloured fruit and vegetables each day. Each different colour provides a different array of nutrients.
Red - Lycopene gives fruit and vege their bright red colour. Lycopene may help to reduce the risk of cancer and keep our heart healthy.
Yellow / Orange - Carotenoids give these fruit and vege their bright yellow and orange colours. Beta-carotene, found in carrots and pumpkin, is converted to vitamin which supports the health of our eyes.
Purple - Anthocyanin is what gives purple/blue fruit and vege their colour. It is a powerful antioxidant that protects our bodies cells from free radical damage.
Green - Carotenoids are also found in green fruit and vege but their yellow and orange colour is masked by chlorophyll. Carotenoids are also antioxidants which can help to reduce the risk of cancer.
White/brown - fruit and vege with these colours contain a range of nutrients including potassium, vitamin C and the likes of allicin in garlic. Allacin has antibacterial and antiviral properties.
What is a serve?
A serve is typically what fits into the palm of your (or your child’s) hand. The bigger your hand, the larger your serve!
Roughly speaking, for an average adult this equates to about 1/2c or 80g. Some common serve size examples include:
½ cup of cooked vegetables or ½ cup of salad
1 medium potato, or similar size piece of kumara, yam, or taro
1 medium apple, pear, banana or orange
2 small apricots or plums
½ cup of fresh or stewed fruit salad
Does fruit juice count as a serve of fruit?
No. While fruit juice in days gone by was seen as a way to help you reach your 5 + A Day, times have since moved on. The WHO now classifies fruit juice as a ‘free sugar’. Free sugar refers to sugars added to food and drinks by the manufacturer, chef or you, at home. It also includes natural sugars found in the likes of honey, syrups, fruit juice and fruit juice concentrates. This is because the sugars are not inside the cell wall of the whole food. During the juicing process, much of the fibre is also removed. Fibre helps to slow down the absorption of sugar into the blood stream and also helps us to fill up. Without the fibre, it can be very easy to drink a large amount of sugar (and calories) in a single sitting.
Drinking sugary drinks has been linked to an increased risk of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. One glass 250ml of orange juice contains the equivalent of approx. 3 medium oranges (or 5 small oranges) and approx. 7 tsp of sugar. A large 350ml glass of OJ contains the equivalent of approx. 4 medium oranges (~6 small oranges). Many of us would find it very hard to eat that many oranges in one sitting, yet it is very easy to drink.
The Ministry of Health recommends eating fresh fruit and drinking plain water rather than drinking fruit juice. Fruit is more filling than juice and provides available vitamins, phytonutrients (beneficial chemicals), fibre and much less sugar than juice.
Is it ok to eat fruit because of the sugar content?
Yes. While fruit juice and fruit juice concentrates are classified as ‘free sugars’, we do not need to avoid or restrict the natural sugars found in whole fruit (or plain dairy). Whole fruit contains a wide variety of beneficial vitamins and minerals, as well as fibre. The sugars within whole fruit remain intact inside the cell wall of the fruit, meaning they are more slowly absorbed by the body than those found in fruit juice.
Sugar and dried fruit
Because dried fruit has had its water removed, it’s nutrients are very concentrated, including the sugars. Without the water, it is very easy to eat many serves of dried fruit compared to their fresh counterparts. Dried fruit also easily sticks to teeth which can increase the risk of tooth decay. Therefore the Ministry of Health recommends that you limit the amount of dried fruit you eat.
Are frozen and canned fruit and vegetables healthy?
Yes. It is a common misconception that processed fruits and vegetables are not as healthy for us as fresh. Frozen and canned fruit and vegetables can be a convenient and cheap way to help you reach your 5 + A Day. They are also a great alternative when your favourite fruit or vegetables might be out of season.
While processing may effect some nutrients, it can be a benefit for others. Many frozen or canned fruits and vegetables are picked at peak freshness and processed immediately after harvesting. This means that some nutrients won’t have degraded as much as those found in fresh fruit, which has been left sitting around over time. However, for some more unstable water-soluble nutrients, processing may cause their levels to drop. Whereas heating may actually increase the levels of other nutrients, such as lycopene, in tomatoes. Overall, frozen and canned fruit and vegetables still contain many beneficial nutrients which support our health and can be just as nutritious as their fresh counterparts.
As other ingredients may also be added to processed foods (especially sugar and salt), it always pays to read the food labels. Ideally choose canned fruit in natural juice, rather than syrup, or canned vegetables in spring water (or with “no added salt”), rather than in brine.
Tips for getting the most out of your fruit and vegetables
Buy in season.
Frozen and canned still count.
Where possible try to keep the skins on your fruit and vegetables. The skin contains fibre and many nutrients also are found near the surface and skin.
Be careful not to overcook fruit and vegetables as this can destroy some of the nutrients. Stir-fry or lightly steam, rather than boil.
Handle and store fruit and vegetables carefully to minimise nutrient losses. Love Food Hate Waste has some wonderful storage tips here.
Buy only what you need to reduce fruit and vegetables from spoiling.
If your fruit or vegetables are looking a bit old, add them to your favourite, crumble, smoothie, casserole, soup or crockpot dish, rather than throwing them out.