Fruits and vegetables are necessary every day to achieve a balanced diet with the nutrients that our body needs to protect the health of the body, so it is important to reach five servings of fruits and vegetables a day and today we show some menus with which You can cover them .
Why five daily servings?
Three daily servings of vegetables and two daily servings of fruits are the minimum recommended quantities of these foods internationally by the scientific and professional community. The WHO and FAO recommend together 400 grams per day per person of these food groups or the equivalent of five servings daily.
Fruits and vegetables are a source of antioxidants, fiber, water, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals that can protect health by helping to promote the proper functioning of different organs of the body and away from different diseases. For this reason five daily servings are the minimum amounts that we should include in our diet.
A study published three years ago showed that those who consumed about seven servings a day or more of fruits and vegetables had a lower risk of death from any cause , which grounds that the recommendations of five a day are minimum limits that we should all respect and try overcome to benefit health.
Even, according to a recent study from University College London , it is advisable to increase up to 10 servings of such foods to reduce the risk of premature death, that is, try to reach 800 grams of fruits and vegetables per day in our usual diet.
How much is a ration?
If we want to cover the minimum recommendations of five servings each day of fruits and vegetables, it is fundamental to know what a fruit ration equals and how much is a vegetable ration .
The WHO in its recommendations establishes as the average size of a serving of fruits and vegetables the equivalent of 80 grams of these foods, hence at least 400 grams daily should be ingested. And a study from the University of Cambridge notes that the average portion is 87 grams, therefore, a serving of fruits and vegetables is equivalent to 80-90 grams of these foods.
In practical terms, a serving of fruits and / or vegetables is:
- 1 mandarin or small peach
- 1/2 apple, pear or large orange
- 1 apricot or medium plum.
- 1 small kiwi.
- 8 grapes
- 1/2 cup of cherries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries.
- 1/2 medium banana
- 1 and 1/2 large fig or 2 small.
- 1/2 slice of melon, pineapple or watermelon.
- 1/2 cucumber or medium carrot.
- 1/2 small dish of cooked vegetables: spinach, Swiss chard, broccoli, pumpkin, green beans and others.
- 1 small artichoke.
- 1 large plate of lettuce, escarole, arugula or other fresh green leaves.
- 1/2 medium potato
- 3 or 4 fine asparagus.
- 1/2 zucchini or medium eggplant.
Menus with five a day
To cover the daily quota of fruits and vegetables you should only include a variety of these foods in sufficient quantities, guaranteeing diversity of color and flavor in your dishes.
Some menu suggestions that can help you cover the five daily servings of fruits and vegetables are:
| MENU 1 | |
|---|---|
| BREAKFAST | Glass of milk and three small banana pancakes |
| MIDMORNING | Natural yogurt and peach smoothie (1 unit) |
| FOOD | Warm salad of roasted vegetables with orange dressing with fennel |
| SNACK | Tea or coffee with half cheese sandwich, tomato (1/2 unit) and fresh lettuce leaves. |
| DINNER | Two servings of vegetable omelet |
| MENU 2 | |
|---|---|
| BREAKFAST | Bowl of milk with fresh cherries (10 units), oats and chopped almonds |
| MIDMORNING | Two units of fresh fruit skewers |
| FOOD | A portion of wholegrain pasta with vegetables |
| SNACK | Yogurt with sunflower and apricot seeds in pieces (1 unit). |
| DINNER | Harvested vegetables tartar with avocado and egg. |
| MENU 3 | |
|---|---|
| BREAKFAST | Milkshake and banana (1/2 unit) with cereals and sesame seeds |
| MIDMORNING | Tea or coffee with two toasts with avocado puree (1/2 small unit) and tomato (1/2 unit) |
| FOOD | Grilled veal with a portion of rice salad and green beans |
| SNACK | Yogurt with oatmeal and kiwi in pieces (1/2 unit). |
| DINNER | Zucchini zoodles marinated with fresh figs and cheese. |
These menus are around 500 grams per day of fruits and vegetables so they slightly exceed the recommended five servings a day, but of course, if you can add a daily serving of fruit and one or more servings of vegetables are always welcome by your body and your health.
Fruits and vegetables in the framework of a balanced diet
Fruits and vegetables are foods that we need in our normal diet to take care of health but it is also essential that they are included in the framework of a balanced diet with other nutrients that our body needs.
If there is no lack of quality hydrates, good proteins and fats that benefit health, fruits and vegetables will undoubtedly offer all the benefits that their nutrients, properties and others can bring to the body, while being consumed in adequate quantities but accompanied by harmful habits. the organism the advantages of its consumption will not be equal nor so valuable.
Therefore, it is always important to consider the whole and if we seek to optimize the consumption of fruits and vegetables, nothing better than doing it accompanied by other healthy habits.
