The vast majority of Fruits and vegetables count towards your 5 a day, making it easier to get your recommend amount of 5 Fruit and Vegetables a day.

What actually counts as 5 a day?

• Fresh fruit and vegetables

• Frozen fruit and vegetables

• Dried fruit, such as currants, sultanas and dates

• Tinned fruit and vegetables. In natural juice not salt or sugar

• Fruit and vegetables in soups and stews or even pasta dishes

• Smoothies if they contain fruit and vegetables but it depends on how they are made. Important ( Smoothies only count as two portions per day.)

•  Beans, such as Baked, kidney and Lima

Do potatoes count towards my 5 a day?

No Potatoes are starchy food, but still a great source of energy, fibre, B vitamin and potassium. Potatoes are used in place of other sources of starch, Bread, pasta or rice. Because of this, they do not count towards your 5 a day. Other vegetables that don’t count towards your 5 a day are things like Yam and plantain, as they are also starchy foods. But foods like Swedes, Parsnips Sweet potatoes and Turnips do count towards your 5 a day as they are usually eaten in addition to the starchy food part of the meal.

Quick tip for when eating jacket potatoes, Leave the skin on as it keeps the fibre and vitamins.

 Eat a Variety of different Fruits

I believe to get the best benefits from eating Fruit and Vegetables; you must eat a variety of them as they all have their own beneficial properties for you.