Health ~ Fruit and vegetables

Due to their nutritional and health benefits, it's recommended that
fruit and vegetables form the basis of your diet, with a minimum
intakeof five portions each day - abouta third of your daily food
consumption. Currently the UK averages two to three portions aday, so
we're falling well short ofthe benefits they can provide.
Fruit and vegetables should be incorporated into every meal, as well
as being the first choice for a snack. Population studies have shown
that people who eat a lot of fruit and vegetables may have a lower
risk of chronic disease, such as heart disease and some cancers .
Health benefits can be gained from fresh, canned (in natural juice),
frozen, cooked, juiced or dried versions. Potatoes don't count though,
as they're a starchy food .
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How much is a portion?
*. One piece of medium-sized fruit, such as an apple, peach, banana or orange.
*. One slice of fruit, such as melon, mango or pineapple.
*. One handful of grapes or two handfuls of cherries or berry fruits.
*. One heaped tablespoon of dried fruit.
*. One small glass (150ml) of unsweetened 100 per cent fruit or
vegetable juice. Juice counts as a maximum of one portion regardless
of how much you drink.
*. A smoothie containing all of theedible pulped fruit and/or
vegetable may count as more than one portion but this depends on how
it's made. Smoothies count as up to a maximum of two portions per day.
*. A small tin (roughly 200g) of fruit
*. 3 tablespoons of fruit salad or stewed fruit.
*. One portion of canned fruit is roughly the same quantity of fruit
that you would eat for a fresh portion, such as two pearor peach
halves, six apricot halves or eight segments of tinned grapefruit.
*. A side salad.
*. A serving (roughly 80g) of vegetables, such as frozen or mushy
peas, boiled carrots or stir-fried broccoli.
*. Beans and pulses count as one of your five a day portions butonly
count as one portion a day, no matter how many you eat.
*. Cooked dishes that contain significant amounts of vegetables may also count.
So how do you ensure an intake of five portions a day? Here's a typical plan:
*. Glass of fresh orange juice or smoothie for breakfast = one portion.
*. Small pack of dried apricots for mid-morning snack = one portion.
*. Side salad with lunch = one portion.
*. Sugar snap peas and broccoli, served with main meal = one portion.
*. Strawberries as dessert = one portion.
Do remember that some fruits contain many of their nutrients just
under the skin, so eating them with the skin on can provide greater
nutritional benefits and the maximum amount of fibre compared with
just drinking the juice of the same fruit.
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Why are they important?
Fruit and vegetables of differing colours contain diverse mixturesof
phytonutrients (protective plant compounds). These can act as powerful
antioxidants, protecting the body from harmful free radicals and
helpingto protect against certain chronicdiseases such as cancer. Some
fruit and vegetables are labelled as 'superfoods' because they contain
high concentrations of some phytonutrients, particularlyantioxidants,
which appear to bebeneficial to health.
*. Blueberries - contain flavonoids that can improve circulation and
help defend against infection
*. Broccoli - rich in the antioxidants vitamin C and beta-carotene, as
well as folate, all of which can protect againstcardiovascular disease
and cancer
*. Tomatoes - rich in lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that can
protect against harmful free radicals
But variety is the key. In additionto these phytonutrients, each
variety of fruit and vegetables contains its own combination of
vitamins , minerals and fibre . Choosing a variety throughout the day
will provide a diverse package of essential nutrients.
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Boiled or steamed?
Although fruit and vegetables are packed with vitamins and minerals,
many of these essentialnutrients can be easily destroyedby heat when
cooking and during food preparation. Water-soluble vitamins are
especially vulnerable when boiled. One solution is to eat raw
vegetables as much as possible, such as rawcarrot, celery or peppers.
When cooking vegetables, try steaming, microwaving or poaching rather
than boiling. These methods do not involve immersing them in water, so
the maximum amount of nutrients can be retained, as well as their
fresh taste. If you prefer to boil vegetables, do so for the minimum
amount of time and in as little liquid as possible in orderto retain
their valuable nutrients. You could also utilise the water used in
another part of your dish, such as gravies or stocks, to recapture
some of the leachednutrients.
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