Fruit and vegetables are sources of the fibre, vitamins and minerals your body needs. The World Health Organization recommends that adults eat at least 400 grams of fruit and vegetables combined each day — about five portions — yet many people still fall short.
How much is “one portion”?
- 1 ladle of cooked vegetables, or 2 ladles of raw vegetables
- 1 medium piece of fruit, such as an orange, a banana or an apple
- About 6–8 bite-sized pieces of cut fruit
Easy ways to add fruit and vegetables to each meal
Breakfast: Add a piece of fruit, or put vegetables in your omelette or sandwich.
Lunch: Choose dishes with vegetables as the main ingredient, such as mixed stir-fried vegetables or clear soup, or order an extra vegetable dish.
Dinner: Fill about half your plate with vegetables and the rest with rice and protein.
Snacks: Swap crisps for fresh fruit or vegetable sticks such as cucumber and carrot.
Eat a rainbow for a range of benefits
Fruit and vegetables of different colours contain different nutrients. Try to eat many colours each day — green, yellow, orange, red, purple and white. Choosing seasonal produce means it's fresh, affordable and easy to find.
Fruit juice is often high in sugar and lower in fibre than whole fruit, so choose whole fruit most of the time, and always wash fruit and vegetables well before eating.
