Why 2 & 5? - 2 serves of fruit and 5 serves of vegetables each day

Recent research shows that most adults would benefit from increasing their fruit and vegetable intake. A lifetime habit of eating fruit and vegetables every day can help prevent:

• Some forms of cancer
• Overweight and obesity
• Coronary heart disease
• Constipation

It can also:

* Reduce blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels

* Improve control of diabetes.

Vegetables

One serve of vegetables is 75 grams or:
· 1/2 cup cooked vegetables
· 1 medium potato
· 1 cup salad vegetables
· 1/2 cup cooked legumes (dried beans, peas or lentils)

Fruit

One serve of fruit is 150 grams of fresh fruit or:
· 1 medium-sized piece (eg. apple)
· 2 smaller pieces (eg apricots)
· 1 cup canned or chopped fruit
Choose fresh fruit instead of fruit juice or dried fruit. Juices have lower fibre content than fresh fruit. Dried fruit, if eaten in large quantities, can contribute to tooth decay because it contains a concentrated form of sugar that stick to your teeth.