Have you had your 'five a day'?

A recent article on the BBC website has claimed that fewer that a third of adults and only one in 10 children are eating their recommended 'five a day' of fruit and vegetables, according to government statistics. On average, adults eat four portions a day. 

In the article, in this last sentence, it actually said 'adults eat only four portions per day.' I know it is important to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables but I thought that although eating five portions would be best, people were advised to eat four or five - so why should 'only' be used in a sentence to describe the average portions consumed by adults? I do try to eat a relatively healthy diet myself, but I have to say, I rarely eat four portions in a day, let alone five. When I eat four, I feel smug that I've managed it! A quick search on a search engine has taught me that I should definitely be eating five, so perhaps I should stop feeling so pleased with myself when I hit four.

I also watched a programme earlier this week, and the sole purpose of the programme seemed to be to highlight the marketing ploys used by companies to trick consumers into buying food. On many products, stickers are added to the food packaging, highlighting that it contributes to yourt it counts towards your five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. One of the items of food showing one of these stickers was a microwaveable full English breakfast, which contained very little vegetables - certainly not enough to really count towards a portion of vegetables. Instead, it included a high salt and fat content. The programme also tried to warn people off of drinking too many fruit juices, sticking to 125ml portions or otherwise the sugar in the drinks could lead to weight gain.

It all gets a little confusing - what you should be eating, and how much of different products you should consume. Rather than worrying that you are getting enough fruit or vegetables, or trying to buy items of food which claim to count towards your five a day, perhaps everyone should just try their best to lead an active lifestyle, eating and drinking in moderation? Although perhaps a few days eating badly a month can't do too much damage... In case you were wondering though, 400g of fruit or vegetables is the best guideline for one portion.