Most of us know we need to eat vegies and fruit every day, but did you know you should eat 5 serves of vegetables and 2 serves of fruit each day?
Vegies and fruit are essential for health and should form the central part of our diet. They are rich in fibre, vitamins and minerals which helps us maintain a healthy weight and reduce cancer risk.
However, only a few of us eat enough vegies and fruit. A study by Cancer Council* asked people why they didn’t eat more vegies. One of the most common reasons was that they thought they were already eating enough. When we looked at how much they ate, they weren’t in fact eating 5 serves of vegetables and 2 serves of fruit each day.
1 serve of veg is 75g. That’s is roughly ½ a cup of cooked veg, ½ cooked potato or 1 cup of salad. Take a look below to see what one serve of your favourite veg looks like on a plate:
1 serve of fruit is 150g which is roughly 1 medium piece of fruit, 2 small pieces or 1 cup of chopped fruit.
Here is what 1 serve of your favourite fruit looks like:
It might sound like a lot to have five serves of vegies and two serves of fruit every day, but it’s easier if you spread it over the day. Check out these top tips to get your 5 & 2:
Not eating enough? Find out more ways to include more in your day:
6 hacks to get your family eating more fruit and vegies
* Perceptions of adequacy of fruit and vegetable intake as a barrier to increasing consumption is published in Nutrition and Dietetics.
© Cancer Council NSW 2024 Head Office Address: 153 Dowling Street, Woolloomooloo NSW 2011. Cancer Council NSW is registered with the Australian Taxation Office as an Income Tax Exempt Charity: Charitable Fundraising Authority No. 18521.
Some images on this site have been supplied by Cancer Council Western Australia's Crunch & Sip website
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