From spaghetti hoops to pizza – the unexpected foods that count as one of your five a day, and the ones that don’t
WE all know that we're supposed to be eating at least five portions of fruit and veg a day to stay healthy.
In terms of food that fills the brief, pizza probably wouldn't be the first thing that comes to mind.
You wouldn't be alone in this assumption - 95 per cent of Brits didn't think the takeout classic counted as one of their five a day, according to a poll carried out by recipe box firm Gousto.
But it does, in fact.
It's not the carby crust that makes a crunchy, cheese-topped slice nutritious, but the tomato sauce slathered on top.
By that same logic, spaghetti hoops submerged in sauce also count as part of your five a day.
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Six in 10 of the 2,010 participating in Gousto's survey were also wrong about baked beans, when you can actually tick off one of your veg portions when you indulge in a can.
But contrary to what one in four Brits thought, nuts don't make up part of your recommended fruit and veg intake, though they do come with many health benefits.
Nor do potatoes, to the dismay of 37 per cent of those polled.
Staying on the starchy theme, 56 per cent of respondents didn't include sweet potatoes in their five a day when they should have.
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Twenty two per cent of those polled admitted they hadn't managed to hit their five portions of fruit and veg on any day in the past year.
And almost half (48 per cent) had failed to meet food intake recommendations for the past month.
The main barrier to that was cost, with 36 per cent citing it as a reason.
But one in three were just unsure about what does or doesn't count, and four out of five wondered how much they would need to eat to constitute a portion.
According to nutritionist Ellie Bain, eating more fruit and veg is "proven to lower our risk of heart disease, certain cancers and strokes", as they're packed with fibre, vitamins and minerals.
If you're unsure about how much you should be eating, Ellie said: "As a general rule, a portion is about 80g, or 30g for dried fruit.
"But don’t worry about weighing it all out — a decent handful is a pretty good estimate."
And she added that you might already be eating more than you think.
"Canned and frozen options like tinned tomatoes or peaches are great — they’re cheap to buy and last for ages," she said.
"Just be sure to choose canned fruit in juice rather than sugary syrup."
Meanwhile, sweet potatoes, parsnips, beetroot and even onions can also tick your five a day boxes, thought not the humble spud.
"Little things add up too too like tomato puree, spring onion, garlic, chilli, ginger and fresh herbs," Ellie added.
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Food that counts as part of your five a day:
- tinned fruit
- baked beans
- olives
- vegetable juice
- dried fruit
- frozen veg
- onions
- sweet potatoes
- pizza sauce
- lentils
Food that doesn't count as your five a day:
- potatoes
- jam
- yams
- cider
- nuts
- hummus
- fruitcake