5 A Day tips

Getting your 5 A Day is easy. There are plenty of ways to add more fruit and vegetables to your daily meals.

Here are some ideas to get you started.

5 A Day at breakfast

Add fruit to cereal, porridge or lower fat natural yoghurt. Try a handful of berries or a chopped banana.
Add grilled mushrooms or tomatoes to scrambled eggs.
A glass (150ml) of unsweetened 100% fruit juice, vegetable juice or smoothie combined counts as a maximum of 1 portion of your 5 A Day.
Get more healthy breakfast tips.

Add some crunch to your sandwiches with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber or grated carrots.
Sticks of cucumber, peppers and carrot, and cauliflower or broccoli florets are delicious with dips such as salsa or lower fat cheese spread.
Add fruit and veg to your favourite meals. Try adding chopped carrots to bolognese sauce, sprinkle chopped red peppers on your pasta, or mix veg such as peas into mashed potato to make it even tastier. Add tomatoes to your omelette or mushrooms to your next stir-fry.
Add beans, lentils and pulses to stews, soups, bakes and salads. However much you eat, beans and pulses count as a maximum of 1 portion a day.

Have a salad or vegetable side dish with your main meal. If you're having shepherd's pie, have some peas, too. If you're having a roast dinner, add some carrots or broccoli to your plate.
Frozen fruit and veg count towards your 5 A Day. It only takes a couple of minutes to microwave some frozen peas, mixed vegetables or mini corn on the cob.
Canned fruit and veg also count. It's healthier to choose fruit canned in juice rather than sugary syrup, and veg canned in water without added salt or sugar.
It's easy to add fresh, frozen or canned fruit and veg to meals. Sprinkle sweetcorn or pineapple chunks on top of a thin-base pizza, or liven up soups and sauces with a handful of kidney beans, peas or sweetcorn.
Try making or choosing tomato or vegetable-based sauces as these are usually lower in fat than cream or cheese-based sauces.

Swap sugary snacks, such as biscuits, for a piece of fruit. There are lots of healthy snack ideas on Change4Life.
Read more about healthy food swaps and 5 A Day on a budget.

Page last reviewed: Thu Sep 2018 Next review due: Mon Sep 2021