What’s all this talk about 2&5?
‘2 fruit and 5 veg’ is a simple piece of health advice we’ve all heard of before, yet most of us still ignore it. Fruit and vegetables contain a huge amount of the minerals and nutrients required for humans to survive. According to the Heart Foundation, fewer than 10% of Australians eat the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables each day.
How much is a serve?
One reason we might not be getting our daily 2 serves of fruit and 5 serves of veg is because we’re not actually sure how much a serve is. Listed below are some examples of what a serve of fruit or veg might look like;
Fruit (2 serves)
One serve of fruit is approximately 150g:
- 1 piece of medium sized fruit – Apple, banana, orange or pear
- 2 pieces of small fruit – Apricots, plums, kiwifruit
- 1 cup sliced fruit or berries
- 30g dried fruit
Vegetables (5 serves)
One serve of vegetables is approximately 75g. This looks like:
- ½ cup cooked vegetables
- ½ cup cooked or dried legumes
- 1 cup raw leafy vegetables
- ½ medium potato or other starchy vegetables
- ½ cup sweet corn
- 1 medium tomato
What does 2 fruit & 5 veg look like in a day?
The idea of trying to fit 2 serves of fruit and 5 serves of vegetables into your daily diet can sound intimidating, however, these serves aren’t as large as you might imagine. To give you an idea of how to get your 2 and 5 we’ve provided two example daily menus that meet the recommended quota.
Day 1:
Breakfast: Whole Grain toast with 2 eggs and ¼ avocado
Snack: Piece of fruit or small tub yogurt with a handful of berries
Lunch: 2 cups of vegetable soup with 1 piece whole grain toast. Or, stir-fry or vegetable curry with ½ cup of brown rice.
Snack: carrot and cucumber sticks with hummus
Dinner: 1 cup of roast vegetables or salad with grilled honey soy chicken.
Day 2:
Breakfast: Rolled oats topped with 1 cup sliced fresh fruit and seeds or crushed nuts.
Snack: 3 homemade vegetable Vietnamese rolls
Lunch: 1 x wholemeal wrap with 1 cup of mixed salad, ¼ avocado and protein of your choice.
Snack: A piece of fruit
Dinner: ½ cup wholemeal pesto pasta with sundried tomatoes and 1 cup steamed broccoli and ½ cup chopped spinach.
Your Local Fruit Shop understands the importance of eating 2 fruit and 5 veg every day. We want to make it easier for you to achieve this goal by providing you with access to a variety of fruits and vegetables in every colour of the rainbow.
Find Your Local Fruit Shop
Click the button below to find your local and start eating 2 fruits and 5 veg daily.