Eating A Balanced Diet
I found an excellent website that gives advice about how to eat a balanced diet. It’s from the United Kingdom. Eating a balanced diet is a Gail Commandment, so I’m trying to focus more on this.
Suffering as a result of the yeast infection, has forced me to eat a more balanced diet and I’m at my dream weight. About 132 pounds in the morning. This is great for a 5 foot 6.5 inch tall woman with small bones.
The United Kingdom is ahead of the United States in life expectancy, so following balanced diet advice from the U.K. may not be a bad idea. Besides, I eat a lot of U.K. style foods, like shepherd’s pie, so this works for me. I also eat a lot of Mediterranean and Asian food and can incorporate this advice into those eating styles as well.
Eating a balanced diet
Eating a healthy, balanced diet is an important part of maintaining good health, and can help you feel your best.
This means eating a wide variety of foods in the right proportions, and consuming the right amount of food and drink to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.
This page covers healthy eating advice for the general population.
People with special dietary needs or a medical condition should ask their doctor or a registered dietitian for advice. I include sections that focus on my weak spots. I have had a horrible sweet tooth lately and have probably been eating way too much fruit and chocolate. Now that it looks like I will be getting a dental bridge, I want to especially focus on cutting back on sugar. No more eating chocolate every day or six fruit popsicles a day! Unless I can incorporate the cocoa into a meal without sugar in it.
Food groups in your diet
The Eatwell Guide shows that to have a healthy, balanced diet, people should try to:
- eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day (see 5 A Day)
- base meals on higher fibre starchy foods like potatoes, bread, rice or pasta
- have some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soya drinks)
- eat some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other protein
- choose unsaturated oils and spreads, and eat them in small amounts
- drink plenty of fluids (at least 6 to 8 glasses a day)
If you’re having foods and drinks that are high in fat, salt and sugar, have these less often and in small amounts.
Try to choose a variety of different foods from the 5 main food groups to get a wide range of nutrients.
Most people in the UK eat and drink too many calories, too much saturated fat, sugar and salt, and not enough fruit, vegetables, oily fish or fibre.
The Eatwell Guide does not apply to children under the age of 2 because they have different nutritional needs.
After the age of 2 years, children should move to eating the same foods as the rest of the family in the proportions shown in the Eatwell Guide.
Fruit and vegetables: are you getting your 5 A Day?
Fruit and vegetables are a good source of vitamins and minerals and fibre, and should make up just over a third of the food you eat each day.
It’s recommended that you eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. They can be fresh, frozen, canned, dried or juiced.
There’s evidence that people who eat at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day have a lower risk of heart disease, stroke and some cancers.
Eating 5 portions is not as hard as it sounds.
A portion is:
- 80g of fresh, canned or frozen fruit and vegetables
- 30g of dried fruit – which should be kept to mealtimes
- 150ml glass of fruit juice or smoothie – but do not have more than 1 portion a day as these drinks are sugary and can damage teeth
Just 1 apple, banana, pear or similar-sized fruit is 1 portion each.
A slice of pineapple or melon is also 1 portion, and 3 heaped tablespoons of vegetables is another portion.
Adding a tablespoon of dried fruit, such as raisins, to your morning cereal is an easy way to get 1 portion.
You could also swap your mid-morning biscuit for a banana, and add a side salad to your lunch.
In the evening, have a portion of vegetables with dinner and fresh fruit with plain, lower fat yoghurt for dessert to reach your 5 A Day.
Find out more about what counts towards your 5 A Day
Starchy foods in your diet
Starchy foods should make up just over a third of everything you eat. This means your meals should be based on these foods.
Choose wholegrain or wholemeal varieties of starchy foods, such as brown rice, wholewheat pasta, and brown, wholemeal or higher fibre white bread.
They contain more fibre, and usually more vitamins and minerals, than white varieties.
Potatoes with the skins on are a great source of fibre and vitamins. For example, when having boiled potatoes or a jacket potato, eat the skin too.
Find out more about starchy foods
Milk and dairy foods (and alternatives)
Milk and dairy foods, such as cheese and yoghurt, are good sources of protein. They also contain calcium, which helps keep your bones healthy.
Go for lower fat and lower sugar products where possible.
Choose semi-skimmed, 1% fat or skimmed milk, as well as lower fat hard cheeses or cottage cheese, and lower fat, lower sugar yoghurt.
Dairy alternatives, such as soya drinks, are also included in this food group.
When buying alternatives, choose unsweetened, calcium-fortified versions.
Find out more about milk and dairy foods
Beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins
These foods are all good sources of protein, which is essential for the body to grow and repair itself.
They’re also good sources of a range of vitamins and minerals.
Meat is a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals, including iron, zinc and B vitamins. It’s also one of the main sources of vitamin B12.
Choose lean cuts of meat and skinless poultry whenever possible to cut down on fat. Always cook meat thoroughly.
Try to eat less red and processed meat like bacon, ham and sausages.
Find out more about including meat in your diet
Eggs and fish are also good sources of protein, and contain many vitamins and minerals. Oily fish is particularly rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
Aim to eat at least 2 portions of fish a week, including 1 portion of oily fish.
You can choose from fresh, frozen or canned, but remember that canned and smoked fish can often be high in salt.
Pulses, including beans, peas and lentils, are naturally very low in fat and high in fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals.
Nuts are high in fibre, and unsalted nuts make a good snack. But they do still contain high levels of fat, so eat them in moderation.
Oils and spreads
Some fat in the diet is essential, but on average people in the UK eat too much saturated fat.
It’s important to get most of your fat from unsaturated oils and spreads.
Swapping to unsaturated fats can help lower cholesterol.
Remember that all types of fat are high in energy and should be eaten in small amounts.
Find out more about the different types of fats
Eat less saturated fat, sugar and salt
Too much saturated fat can increase the amount of cholesterol in the blood, which increases your risk of developing heart disease.
Regularly consuming foods and drinks high in sugar increases your risk of obesity and tooth decay.
Eating too much salt can raise your blood pressure, which increases your risk of getting heart disease or having a stroke.
See 8 tips for healthy eating to find out more about why you need to cut down on saturated fat, sugar and salt, which foods they’re found in, and how to make healthier choices.
Find out more about how to eat less saturated fat
Need to lose weight?
Most adults in England are overweight or obese. Check whether you’re a healthy weight using the BMI calculator.
If you need to lose weight, you can use the NHS weight loss plan. It’s a free 12-week diet and exercise plan to help you lose weight and develop healthier habits. It has been designed to help you lose weight safely, and keep it off.
Information:
Self-refer for help with your weight
If you need help managing your weight, you might be able to refer yourself directly to services that can help you, without seeing a GP.
To find out if there are any services in your area:
- ask the reception staff at your GP surgery
- check your GP surgery’s website
- contact your integrated care board (ICB) – find your local ICB
- search online for NHS weight management services near you
More in How to eat a balanced diet
- Eating a balanced diet
- The vegan diet
- The vegetarian diet
- Eating processed foods
- How to eat less saturated fat
- How to cut down on sugar in your diet
- 8 tips for healthy eating
How to cut down on sugar in your diet
Added sugars, such as table sugar, honey and syrups, should not make up more than 5% of the energy you get from food and drink each day. That’s about 30g a day for anyone aged 11 and older.
Sugar’s many guises
There are lots of different ways added sugar can be listed on ingredients labels:
- sucrose
- glucose
- fructose
- maltose
- fruit juice
- molasses
- hydrolysed starch
- invert sugar
- corn syrup
- honey
Food labels tell you how much sugar a food contains:
- high in sugar – 22.5g or more of total sugar per 100g
- low in sugar – 5g or less of total sugar per 100g
Some packaging uses a colour-coded system that makes it easy to choose foods that are lower in sugar, salt and fat. Look for more “greens” and “ambers”, and fewer “reds”, in your shopping basket.
Breakfast
Many breakfast cereals are high in sugar. Try switching to lower-sugar cereals or those with no added sugar, such as:
- plain wheat biscuit cereal
- plain shredded wholegrain cereal
- no-added-sugar muesli
- plain porridge
- wholemeal toast
- plain natural yoghurt topped with chopped fruit
Porridge oats are cheap and contain vitamins, minerals and fibre. Make porridge with semi-skimmed, 1% or skimmed milk, or water.
If you usually add sugar to your porridge, try adding a few chopped dried apricots or a sliced or mashed banana instead.
For a more gradual approach, you could eat sugary cereals and plain cereals on alternate days, or mix both in the same bowl.
If you add sugar to your cereal, you could try adding less. Or you could eat a smaller portion and add some chopped fruit, such as a pear or banana, which is an easy way of getting some of your 5 A Day.
If toast is your breakfast staple, try wholemeal or granary bread, which is higher in fibre than white bread, and see if you can get by with a little less of your usual spreads like jam, marmalade, honey or chocolate. Or you could try sugar-free or lower-sugar options.
You can find breakfast recipes on the Better Health website.
Main meals
Many foods that we do not consider to be sweet contain a surprisingly large amount of sugar. Some ready-made soups, stir-in sauces and ready meals can also be higher in sugar than you think.
When eating out or buying takeaways, watch out for dishes that are typically high in sugar, such as sweet and sour dishes, sweet chilli dishes and some curry sauces, as well as salads with dressings like salad cream, which can also be high in sugar.
Condiments and sauces such as ketchup can have as much as 23g of sugar in 100g – roughly half a teaspoon per serving. These foods are usually served in small quantities, but the sugar count can add up if eaten every day.
Snacks
Healthier snack options are those without added sugar, such as fresh or tinned fruit (in juice, not syrup), unsalted mixed nuts, plain popcorn, rice cakes, crackers topped with lower-fat cheese or lower-sugar yoghurts.
If you are not ready to give up your favourite flavours, you could start by having less. Instead of 2 biscuits in 1 sitting, try having 1. If your snack has 2 bars, have 1 and share the other, or save it for another day.
If you’re an “all-or-nothing” type person, you could find something to do to take your mind off food on some days of the week.
When shopping, look out for lower-sugar (and lower-fat) versions of your favourite snacks. Buy smaller packs, or skip the family bags and just go for the normal-sized one instead.
Here are some lower-calorie substitutes for popular snacks:
- cereal bars – despite their healthy image, many cereal bars can be high in sugar and fat. Look out for bars that are lower in sugar, fat and salt.
- chocolate – swap for a lower-calorie hot instant chocolate drink. You can also get chocolate with coffee and chocolate with malt varieties.
- biscuits – swap for oatcakes, oat biscuits, or unsalted rice cakes, which also provide fibre.
- cakes – swap for a plain currant bun, fruit scone, or malt loaf. If you add toppings or spreads, use them sparingly or choose lower-fat and lower-sugar varieties.
Dried fruit, such as raisins, dates and apricots, is high in sugar and can be bad for your dental health because it sticks to your teeth.
To prevent tooth decay, dried fruit is best enjoyed at mealtimes – as part of a dessert, for example – rather than as a snack.
Drinks
Nearly a quarter of the added sugar in our diets comes from sugary drinks, such as fizzy drinks, sweetened juices, milkshakes and cordials.
A can of regular cola contains 7 teaspoons of sugar (35g). Try swapping to water, sugar-free or no-added-sugar drinks or lower-fat milks.
If you take sugar in tea or coffee, gradually reduce the amount until you can cut it out altogether, or try swapping to sweeteners instead. Try some new flavours with herbal teas, or make your own with hot water and a slice of lemon or ginger.
Like some fizzy drinks, fruit juice can be high in sugar. When juice is extracted from the whole fruit to make fruit juice, sugar is released, and this can damage your teeth.
Your combined total of drinks from fruit juice, vegetable juice and smoothies should not be more than 150ml a day – which is a small glass. For example, if you have 150ml of orange juice and 150ml smoothie in one day, you’ll have exceeded the recommendation by 150ml.
Fruit juices and smoothies do contain vitamins and minerals and can count towards your 5 A Day. However they can only ever count as a maximum of 1 portion of your 5 A Day. For example, if you have 2 glasses of fruit juice and a smoothie in 1 day, that still only counts as 1 portion.
You could try flavouring water with a slice of lemon, lime, or a splash of fruit juice. But watch out for the sugar content in squash or cordials with added sugar. Some can contain up to 3 teaspoons of sugar in each glass.
Dessert
Work out some ground rules. Do you need to have dessert every day? How about only having dessert after your evening meal, or only eating dessert on odd days of the month, or only on weekends, or only at restaurants?
Do you have to have chocolate, biscuits, and cake every day? If you had this type of sugary snack less often, would you actually enjoy it more?
Less sugary desserts include fruit – fresh, frozen, dried, or tinned, but choose those canned in juice rather than syrup – as well as lower-fat and lower-sugar rice pudding, and plain lower-fat yoghurt.
However, lower fat does not necessarily mean low sugar. Some lower-fat yoghurts can be sweetened with refined sugar, fruit juice concentrate, glucose, and fructose syrup.
If you’re stuck between choosing 2 desserts at the supermarket, why not compare the labels on both packages and go for the one with the lower amount of sugar.
The Eatwell Guide
The Eatwell Guide shows how much of what we eat overall should come from each food group to achieve a healthy, balanced diet.
You do not need to achieve this balance with every meal, but try to get the balance right over a day or even a week.
Most of us still are not eating enough fruit and vegetables. They should make up just over a third of the food we eat each day.
Aim to eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and veg each day. Choose from fresh, frozen, tinned, dried or juiced.
Remember that fruit juice and smoothies should be limited to no more than a combined total of 150ml a day.
Fruit and vegetables are a good source of vitamins, minerals and fibre.
Find out more about how to get your 5 A Day
Starchy food should make up just over a third of the food we eat. Choose higher fibre or wholegrain varieties, such as wholewheat pasta and brown rice, or simply leave the skins on potatoes.
There are also higher fibre versions of white bread and pasta.
Starchy foods are a good source of energy and the main source of a range of nutrients in our diet.
Find out more about starchy foods
These foods are good sources of protein, vitamins and minerals. Pulses, such as beans, peas and lentils, are good alternatives to meat because they’re low in fat and they’re a good source of fibre and protein, too.
Choose lean cuts of meat and mince, and eat less red and processed meat like bacon, ham and sausages.
Aim for at least 2 portions (2 x 140g) of fish every week, 1 of which should be oily, such as salmon, sardines or mackerel.
Milk, cheese, yoghurt and fromage frais are good sources of protein and some vitamins, and they’re also an important source of calcium, which helps keep our bones healthy.
Try to go for lower-fat and lower-sugar products where possible, like semi-skimmed, skimmed or 1% fat milk, reduced-fat cheese or plain low-fat yoghurt.
Find out more about milk and dairy foods
Unsaturated fats are healthier fats and include vegetable, rapeseed, olive and sunflower oils.
Remember all types of fat are high in energy and should be eaten in small amounts.
Find out more about the different types of fat in our diet
These foods include chocolate, cakes, biscuits, sugary soft drinks, butter, ghee and ice cream.
They’re not needed in our diet, so should be eaten less often and in smaller amounts.
Get tips on cutting down on sugar
Water, lower-fat milks, lower-sugar or sugar-free drinks and tea and coffee all count.
Fruit juice and smoothies also count towards your fluid consumption, but they contain free sugars that can damage teeth, so limit these drinks to a combined total of 150ml a day.
Find out more about water, drinks and your health
How does the Eatwell Guide work?
The Eatwell Guide divides the foods and drinks we consume into 5 main food groups.
Try to choose a variety of different foods from each of the groups to help you get the wide range of nutrients your body needs to stay healthy.
It’s important to get some fat in your diet, but foods that are high in fat, salt and sugar have been placed outside of the main Eatwell Guide as they’re not necessary as part of a healthy, balanced diet and most of us need to cut down on these.
Unsaturated fats from plant sources (for example, vegetable oil or olive oil) are healthier types of fat.
But all types of fat are high in energy (calories), so they should only be eaten in small amounts.
On average, women should have around 2,000 calories a day (8,400 kilojoules) and men should have around 2,500 calories a day (10,500 kilojoules). We all need different amounts of energy (or calories) from food to be a healthy weight. How much you need depends on lots of things, including how active you are.
Find out how food labels can help you choose between foods and pick those lower in fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt.
Combination foods
Many foods, such as pizzas, casseroles, pasta dishes and sandwiches, are combinations of the food groups in the Eatwell Guide.
With these meals, check the ingredients and think about how these fit with the sections on the guide to help you achieve a balanced diet.
Does the Eatwell Guide apply to everyone?
The Eatwell Guide applies to most of us, whether we’re a healthy weight or overweight, whether we eat meat or are vegetarian, and no matter what our ethnic origin.
Anyone with special dietary requirements or medical needs might want to check with a registered dietitian on how to adapt the Eatwell Guide to meet their individual needs.
Children under the age of 2
The Eatwell Guide does not apply to children under the age of 2 because they have different nutritional needs.
After the age of 2 years, children should move to eating the same foods as the rest of the family in the proportions shown in the Eatwell Guide.
Read more about babies, toddlers and young children’s nutritional needs in Your baby’s first solid foods.
Download the Eatwell Guide booklet
For more information, including details of which foods are included in the food groups, download GOV.UK’s The Eatwell Guide.
Healthy eating support
Food and diet advice on the NHS website includes:
More in Food guidelines and food labels
- Food labels
- Water, drinks and hydration
- The Eatwell Guide
5 A Day: what counts?
Almost all fruit and vegetables count towards your 5 A Day, so it may be easier than you think to get your recommended daily amount.
At a glance: what counts?
- 80g of fresh, canned or frozen fruit and vegetables counts as 1 portion of your 5 A Day (but not potatoes and some other starchy foods). For tinned or canned fruit and vegetables, choose those in natural juice or water, with no added sugar or salt.
- 30g of dried fruit (this is equivalent to around 80g of fresh fruit) counts as 1 portion of your 5 A Day. Dried fruit should be eaten at mealtimes, not as a between-meal snack, to reduce the risk of tooth decay.
Some portions only count once in a day:
- 150ml of fruit juice, vegetable juice or smoothie. Limit the amount you drink to a combined total of 150ml a day. Crushing fruit and vegetables into juice and smoothies releases the sugars they contain, which can damage teeth. Juices and smoothies should be consumed at mealtimes, not as a between-meal snack, to reduce the risk of tooth decay.
- 80g of beans and pulses. These only count once as part of your 5 A Day, no matter how many you eat. This is because although they’re a good source of fibre, they contain fewer nutrients than other fruits and vegetables.
Find out more about 5 A Day portion sizes
Video: how much is 5 A Day?
In this video, a dietician gives advice on exactly how much is 1 portion of fruit or vegetables.
Fruit and veg are so rich in vitamins, minerals, fibre, and they’re low in fat, but what’s really PlayMute
Different types of fruit and vegetables
Fruit and vegetables don’t have to be fresh to count as a portion. Nor do they have to be eaten on their own: they also count if they’re part of a meal or dish.
These all also count towards your 5 A Day:
- Frozen fruit and vegetables
- Tinned or canned fruit and vegetables. Buy ones tinned in natural juice or water, with no added sugar or salt.
- Fruit and vegetables cooked in dishes such as soups, stews or pasta.
- A 30g portion of dried fruit, such as currants, dates, sultanas and figs, counts as 1 of your 5 A Day, but should be eaten at mealtimes, not as a between-meal snack, to reduce the impact on teeth.
- Fruit and vegetables in convenience foods, such as ready meals and shop-bought pasta sauces, soups and puddings.
Some ready-made foods are high in salt, sugar and fat, so only have them occasionally or in small amounts.
You can find the salt, sugar and fat content of ready-made foods on the label.
Find out more about food labels
Drinks and 5 A Day
- Keep an eye on the amount of fruit juice and smoothies you drink. The current advice is to limit consumption of fruit or vegetable juices and smoothies to a combined total of 150ml a day (1 portion). Crushing fruit into juice releases the sugars they contain, which can damage teeth. Even unsweetened fruit juice and smoothies are sugary, so limit these to a combined total of 150ml a day.
- Diluting 150ml of fruit juice with water (still or sparkling) can make it go further.
Remember to keep fruit juice and smoothies to mealtimes to reduce the impact on teeth.
Do potatoes count towards my 5 A Day?
No. Potatoes are a starchy food and a great source of energy, fibre, B vitamins and potassium.
In the UK, we get a lot of our vitamin C from potatoes. Although they typically only contain around 11 to 16mg of vitamin C per 100g of potatoes, we generally eat a lot of them.
When eaten as part of a meal, potatoes are generally used in place of other sources of starch, such as bread, pasta or rice. Because of this, they don’t count towards your 5 A Day.
Other vegetables that don’t count towards your 5 A Day are yams, cassava and plantain. They’re also usually eaten as starchy foods.
Sweet potatoes, parsnips, swedes and turnips do count towards your 5 A Day because they’re usually eaten in addition to the starchy food part of the meal.
Potatoes play an important role in your diet, even if they don’t count towards your 5 A Day. It’s best to eat them without any added salt or fat.
They’re also a good source of fibre, so leave the skins on where possible to keep in more of the fibre and vitamins.
For example, if you’re having boiled potatoes or a jacket potato, make sure you eat the skin, too.
More in 5 A Day
- Why 5 A Day?
- 5 A Day: what counts?
- 5 A Day portion sizes
5 A Day portion sizes
Everyone should have at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. An adult portion of fruit or vegetables is 80g.
The guide below will give you an indication of typical portion sizes for adults.
Children should also eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables a day.
The amount of food a child needs varies with age, body size and levels of physical activity.
As a rough guide, 1 portion is the amount they can fit in the palm of their hand.
5 A Day fruit portions
Small fresh fruit
A portion is 2 or more small fruit – for example, 2 plums, 2 satsumas, 2 kiwi fruit, 3 apricots, 6 lychees, 7 strawberries or 14 cherries.
Medium fresh fruit
A portion is 1 piece of fruit, such as 1 apple, banana, pear, orange or nectarine.
Large fresh fruit
A portion is half a grapefruit, 1 slice of papaya, 1 slice of melon (5cm slice), 1 large slice of pineapple or 2 slices of mango (5cm slices).
Dried fruit
A portion of dried fruit is around 30g. This is about 1 heaped tablespoon of raisins, currants or sultanas, 1 tablespoon of mixed fruit, 2 figs, 3 prunes or 1 handful of dried banana chips.
But dried fruit can be high in sugar and can be bad for your teeth.
Try to swap dried fruit for fresh fruit, especially between meals.
To reduce the risk of tooth decay, dried fruit is best enjoyed as part of a meal – as dessert, for example, not as a between-meal snack.
Tinned or frozen fruit
A portion is roughly the same quantity of fruit that you would eat for a fresh portion, such as 2 pear or peach halves, 6 apricot halves, 8 segments of tinned grapefruit, or 2 handfuls (4 heaped tablespoons) of frozen blueberries.
Choose fruit canned in natural juice, rather than syrup.
5 A Day vegetable portions
Green vegetables
A portion is 2 broccoli spears, 2 heaped tablespoons of cooked spinach or 4 heaped tablespoons of cooked kale, spring greens or green beans.
Cooked vegetables
The same quantity as you would eat for a fresh portion. For example, a portion is 3 heaped tablespoons of cooked vegetables, such as carrots, peas or sweetcorn, or 8 cauliflower florets.
Salad vegetables
A portion is 3 celery sticks, a 5cm piece of cucumber, 1 medium tomato or 7 cherry tomatoes.
Tinned and frozen vegetables
The same quantity as you would eat for a fresh portion. For example, 3 heaped tablespoons of tinned or frozen carrots, peas or sweetcorn count as 1 portion each.
For tinned, choose those canned in water with no added salt or sugar.
Pulses and beans
A portion is 3 heaped tablespoons of baked beans, haricot beans, kidney beans, cannellini beans, butter beans or chickpeas.
Remember, however much of these you eat, beans and pulses can only count as a maximum of 1 portion of your 5 A Day.
Potatoes
Potatoes don’t count towards your 5 A Day. This is the same for yams, cassava and plantain, too.
They’re classified nutritionally as a starchy food, because when they’re eaten as part of a meal they’re usually used in place of other sources of starch, such as bread, rice or pasta.
Although they don’t count towards your 5 A Day, potatoes do play an important role in your diet as a starchy food.
You can learn more in 5 A Day: what counts?
5 A Day in juices and smoothies
Unsweetened 100% fruit juice, vegetable juice and smoothies can only ever count as a maximum of 1 portion of your 5 A Day.
For example, if you have 2 glasses of fruit juice and a smoothie in 1 day, that still only counts as 1 portion.
Smoothies include any drink made up of any combination of fruit or vegetable juice, purée, or all the edible pulped fruit or vegetable.
Your combined total of drinks from fruit juice, vegetable juice and smoothies shouldn’t be more than 150ml a day, which is a small glass.
For example, if you have 150ml of orange juice and 150ml smoothie in 1 day, you’ll have exceeded the recommendation by 150ml.
When fruit is blended or juiced, it releases the sugars. This increases the risk of tooth decay, so it’s best to drink fruit juice or smoothies at mealtimes.
Whole fruits are less likely to cause tooth decay because the sugars are contained within the structure of the fruit.
Watch out for drinks that say “juice drink” on the pack as they’re unlikely to count towards your 5 A Day and can be high in sugar.
5 A Day and ready-made foods
Fruit and vegetables contained in shop-bought, ready-made foods can also count toward your 5 A Day.
Always read the label. Some ready-made foods contain high levels of fat, salt and sugar, so only have them occasionally or in small amounts as part of a healthy, balanced diet.
Find out more about food labels
More in 5 A Day
- Why 5 A Day?
- 5 A Day: what counts?
- 5 A Day portion sizes