[Closed] Are you getting your 7-a-day?

Given this new information, what we need to do is take the American approach, and helpfully reclassify what meets the criteria of 'vegetable'

This, for example….

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5 was chosen as it was considered more achievable, at least people might get 3 or 4, set it at 7 and people would see it as unachievable and not bother. It's a shame public health goes this way, listened to an interesting documentary on food labeling, health professionals said traffic lights are the way to go but as there is only Good/OK/Bad food companies will never play ball so all sorts of different watered down systems appear.

Sadly mike, common sense gets diluted/watered down all the time. Eat more fruit can be classed with BMI, "EL,MM", portion sizes etc as simple, useful messages that people would prefer to ignore. The R4 coverage was quite depressing this morning re the effective dumbing down of the message.

I just don't get it, shouldn't society be promoting a healthy working life followed by a swift end? Forget this ideal of a long, decrepit retirement. Carousel at age 35 gets my vote 🙂

The person from public health on the new managed to contradict herself in a very short statement:

1. 31% of people don't eat 5-a-day
2. 5-a-day is a simple message that people understand

So, we won't change it. Genius.

R_B - no, mate, they need us oldies to carry on providing child care to our working offspring and doing voluntary work, thereby helping keep the country running and attractive to foreign tourists.

I had two packs of Mini-cheddars this morning, so that's 2 of my 5 covered.

Baked beans are on the list. Is cider?

Scary: "the majority of people know they should eat five a day and only 25% manage that"

3 in 4 don't eat 5-a-day?

Cider has as many antioxidants as red wine, so I say yes.

No idea where I heard that. Might have just imagined it. Maybe only proper cloudy West Country stuff from an opaque container counts.

Breakfast of champions there footflaps!

A Big Mac contains both lettuce and a Gherkin. With the reclassified fries you're half way there already. Have it twice a day and you're laughing, and the Department of Health will be holding you up as a model citizen

Is cheese on the list? That could be the lot covered

Does it have to be opaque? I was hoping the stuff we bought in steel jerrycans from round the back of a derelict farmhouse counted. The rust added to the bouquet.

See where folks are coming from re the 5 vs 7 but it's basically just pragmatism, if there's more benefits to promoting 5 a day then 7 than there's little argument that they shouldn't do just that.

Do chocolate covered raisins count?

get the aldi (or is it lidl?) chocolate covered cranberries and raisins. that way you get 2 of 5 instead of 1 of 5.

The person from public health on the new managed to contradict herself in a very short statement:

1. 31% of people don't eat 5-a-day
2. 5-a-day is a simple message that people understand

No she didn't. Understanding the message and acting upon it are two different things. I understand I should eat 5 a day, but I don't.

Even if we can't get cheese on the list, a Greggs cheese and onion pasty still contains onions. Does the multiples argument still hold? So instead of the sausage roll chaser, another pasty would represent another one of the 7

Hang on a minute…. I've just had a thought…. 2 cornish pasties could easily do all 7 in one sitting?

Breakfast of champions there footflaps!

Don't knock it, they're made with read Cheese and oven baked. Probably worth more than 2 of my 5.

I wasn't knocking it mate. Mini chedders are one of mankind's greatest triumphs, and therefore the ideal breakfast. I've just had a load of toast with this on…..

[img] [/img]

It counts too doesn't it? It contains….erm…. stuff

I'd have to really start planning my meals carefully if I was going to try to eat [i]less[/i] than 7 portion of fruit & veg a day.

I would say I don't know how other people manage it, but sadly, I look in their trolleys at the supermarket and know it is quite easy.

No she didn't. Understanding the message and acting upon it are two different things.

She implied that the 5-a-day campaign was effective, when it clearly isn't.

I understand I should eat 5 a day, but I don't.

Can I ask why?

I don't think I eat especially unhealthily, but I know I could eat more fruit and veg.

Yesterday:
Brekkie: Weetabix with some sultanas and a glass of fresh juice + crumpet and cup of tea.
Lunch: Ham and tomato roll and a packet of crisps, plus another glass of fresh juice
Dinner: Tagliateli with bacon, onions, tomatoes and mushrooms

Is that 5 a day? A few mushrooms in my pasta surely don't count as a "portion", do they? I don't tend to snack on fruit like some people, so it always feels like I'm not eating enough fruit and veg.

I liked this bit;

Eating at least seven portions of fresh fruit and vegetables a day was linked to a 42% lower risk of death from all causes.

Bubble & Squeak for breakfast and baked potato for dinner, followed by banana custard means I'm less likely to get run over by a truck while cycling to work.

Me, today:

* breakfast includes raisin and banana = 2 fruit
* dinner includes beans, onion, baby sweetcorn, mange tout, salad leaves, red pepper = 7 veg
* tea includes green beans, carrots and broccoli = 3 veg

That's 12-a-day on a fairly standard work day.

At least one lady on R4 simple said, even if you have only 1 or 2 portions a day, that is positive and better than none. News nudged me to my third piece iPod fruit today. If only I had not had the same number of coffees!!

Can I ask why?

I've had the same diet for pretty much my entire life. I would never have said it was especially unhealthy and prior to the 5-a-day campaign always felt it was a good balanced diet (with occasional transgressions, natch). The 5 a day campaign is about 5 [u]portions[/u] of fruit and veg per day. I might add veg into a dish I'm cooking, but it's hardly a full portion.

I could eat more fruit, for example, but I feel like I'm eating it for the sake of eating rather than because of hunger

Is that 5 a day? A few mushrooms in my pasta surely don't count as a "portion", do they? I don't tend to snack on fruit like some people, so it always feels like I'm not eating enough fruit and veg.

I'm not sure if mushrooms count as a vegetable. A 'portion' is about the size of the palm of your hand.

Snacking on fruit is bad - sugar.

I might add veg into a dish I'm cooking, but it's hardly a full portion.

It is, if you add enough.

Oh, oh ! The problem is, will Fred the Farmer be able to keep up with demand for all those extra turnips and apples. Oh lordy, I suspect not. Then what shall we do ?
🙁

If only we knew of some way to save ourselves and develop a technology to grow huge quantities of vegetables, low cost.

Won't anyone think of the children !

Your 12-a-day example is a bit optimistic. This is the whole daft thing about the 5 a day message. The devil is in the detail and is often overlooked.

From the NHS website:

The 5 A DAY message highlights the health benefits of getting five 80g portions of fruit and vegetables every day.

If you have 80g of raisins on your porridge I'd be extremely surprised...and impressed.

Can I ask why?

Because pies are better than bananas, silly. And roast beef flavour Monster Munch are better than aubergines too. And, lets be brutally frank; chips are better than cauliflowers.

Mushrooms - I looooove mushrooms... Please count them as a vegetable. Please?

Snacking on fruit is bad - sugar.

An interesting point, the message from R4 (well from one of the guests) was "eat more fruit" without any qualification. It's a bit like drink water in the marathon. More people have died (I think) from over hydration than under hydration in the London marathon.

There's quite a bit of evidence that 5 a day has been quite successful I think - it's just that we were starting from a very low base.

Sadly mike, common sense gets diluted/watered down all the time. Eat more fruit can be classed with BMI, "EL,MM", portion sizes etc as simple, useful messages that people would prefer to ignore. The R4 coverage was quite depressing this morning re the effective dumbing down of the message.

Except that they're saying we should eat more vegetables, not more fruit. I suspect many people get most of their five a day (or whatever proportion of that) through fruit anyway, eg fruit juice, smoothies and tinned fruit in syrup - none of which are really that good for you.

[i]Brekkie: Weetabix with some sultanas and a glass of fresh juice + crumpet and cup of tea.
Lunch: Ham and tomato roll and a packet of crisps, plus another glass of fresh juice
Dinner: Tagliateli with bacon, onions, tomatoes and mushrooms[/i]
I pity your pancreas.

[i]I'm not sure if mushrooms count as a vegetable[/i]
Fungi ?

I pity your pancreas.

Why?

* tea includes green beans, carrots and broccoli = 3 veg

[img] [/img]

I find Darjeeling or English Breakfast with a splash of milk works best, but each to his own. 😈

The person from public health on the new managed to contradict herself in a very short statement:

1. 31% of people don't eat 5-a-day
2. 5-a-day is a simple message that people understand

So, we won't change it. Genius.

69% compliance to a dietary recommendation would normally be considered a triumph in public health terms. 🙂 And just because some people choose to eat nothing but pies doesn't mean they don't understand the 5-a-day message. They just don't choose to do it.

I sincerely doubt that more than two-thirds of the population is having five a day though.

Can someone please answer something for me which as always bugged me about this campaign? WTF is a "portion" in this context?

Saying you should eat 7 portions rather than 5 is meaningless if I'm eating seven grapes and you're eating five watermelons.

COugar, see my post above. NHS define it as 80g

[url= http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/5ADAY/Pages/Why5ADAY.aspx ]http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/5ADAY/Pages/Why5ADAY.aspx[/url]

5 A DAY is based on advice from the World Health Organization, which recommends eating a minimum of 400g of fruit and vegetables a day to lower the risk of serious health problems

[i]And, lets be brutally frank; chips are better than cauliflowers[/i]
Nothing brutal about that. I believe you'll find its the natural order of the universe.

[b]Chips RULE[/b]

[img] [/img]

A fist sized portion Cougar.

[img] [/img]

TBF pretty much everything I've seen about 5 a day has mentioned this.

Your 12-a-day example is a bit optimistic. This is the whole daft thing about the 5 a day message. The devil is in the detail and is often overlooked.

From the NHS website:

The 5 A DAY message highlights the health benefits of getting five 80g portions of fruit and vegetables every day.

If you have 80g of raisins on your porridge I'd be extremely surprised...and impressed.

About 30g of raisins, last time I weighed them. But, some of my other portions will have a greater mass, so I'd probably still be well clear of the 7 portions a day altogether.

Actually: raisins are dried fruit, so do I need less than 80g for 1 portion? 🙂

^ a portion is 80g - it should be 400g in total ,divided by five.

Which makes it easier to eat a portion of something disgusting like watermelon than something palatable, like watercress.

Cougar - Moderator

Saying you should eat 7 portions rather than 5 is meaningless if I'm eating seven grapes and you're eating five watermelons.

That's kind of the entire point of "portions" vs fruits/vegs.

Snacking on fruit is bad - sugar.

An interesting point, the message from R4 (well from one of the guests) was "eat more fruit" without any qualification.

The article I read was suggesting 2 fruit and 5 veg.

I make 3 here….

[img] [/img]

Well if I can count my breakfast sultanas and fresh juice, that's 2 portions straight away 🙂

The person from public health on the new managed to contradict herself in a very short statement:
1. 31% of people don't eat 5-a-day
2. 5-a-day is a simple message that people understand

So, we won't change it. Genius.

69% compliance to a dietary recommendation would normally be considered a triumph in public health terms. And just because some people choose to eat nothing but pies doesn't mean they don't understand the 5-a-day message. They just don't choose to do it.

I sincerely doubt that more than two-thirds of the population is having five a day though.

As in a later post I made, it's actually 75% not eating 5-a-day.

[i]Why?[/i]

Oh dear.
😥

Oh dear.

Still not very helpful

Solo - I note that theres tomato ketchup on the chip butty. Thats another one of your 7. You've got this sussed!!!!! 😀

And, lets be brutally frank; chips are better than cauliflowers

You are allowed to eat things [i]in addition[/i] to the vegetables...

I had a chippy tea on Friday night. A sweet chicken and chilli, with chips for lunch on Saturday. Three (slightly stale) cinnamon and raisin swirls and 6 custard creams as a snack last night.

Today's breakfast had maple syrup on top, dinner contains chorizo, tea includes toad in the hole.

[i]Still not very helpful [/i]

Help ? are you really looking for help ? No, you're not. You're fine as you are, aren't you.
Carry on.

Seven a day cut the risk of dying from cancer and heart disease.

And increases the risk of you living for longer as a senile geriatric old codger.

Experts said other lifestyle factors, such as not smoking or drinking excessively, may have accounted for the drop in mortality, not just fruit and veg consumption

Who are these geniuses. I wish to nominate them for a nobel.

[i]You've got this sussed[/i]

[img] [/img]

are you really looking for help ?

No, but when some stranger on the internet tells me my pancreas is at risk from a diet that I've had for 35 years or more, it's reasonable for me to ask why. I don't know whether you're a health professional who can't be bothered to explain or someone just on here for the sport of it.

I've had three of my five already today. Porridge with banana and raisin, apple just now. Unfortunately I'm now reading about the evils of fructose and apparently I'm still doomed. 🙁

And increases the risk of you living for longer as a senile geriatric old codger.

Apart from the [url= https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=diet+linked+to+alzheimer%27s+disease ]possible links between Alzheimer's and poor diet[/url], you mean?

The fundamental flaw in the DoH's well-intentioned, but eye-rollingly tedious hectoring about the lifestyles we should all be leading, is it assumes we all want to live until we're 98. I'm sure that looks like a fabulous prospect from their comfortable, upper middle class ivory towers. Winter on the slopes, summers in Tuscany

Meanwhile, back in the real world…...

Can you do this 5 a day thing entirely through alcohol?

Eg If I mix up a Sloe Gin, Red Wine, Pear Cider, Calvados and Cranberry juice cocktail, would that count as 5?

Apart from the possible links between Alzheimer's and poor diet, you mean?

I'd rather be senile when I'm geriatric. That way I won't know about it.

[i]I don't know whether you're a health professional who can't be bothered to explain or someone just on here for the sport of it. [/i]
Its never stopped you using your pitchfork in the past.

[i]I'm now reading about the evils of fructose and apparently I'm still doomed[/i]
Ah, now, you see. On this forum, that sort of thing is frouned upon as cheating. Stick to what you [i]think[/i] and try to either cling to old, out of date science or just repeat what you heard at the check out.

Also, contaminated bagged salad can cause kidney failure. And 46% of all food poisoning cases in the US are related to vegetables, which is suprising seeing as all they eat is minced beef in a bun.

Where are my fish and chips? 😈

footflaps - Member

Can you do this 5 a day thing entire through alcohol?

You sir, are a genius.

I'd rather be senile when I'm geriatric. That way I won't know about it.

I'd rather be that amazing 90-year-old who sets a new hour record for his age group. I'd also rather not die in my 50s.

Does a diet of Scotch and Cigars count?

Does a diet of Scotch and Cigars count?

At least three I reckon, or maybe more if it's a blend?

[img] [/img]

and

[img] [/img]

The fundamental flaw in the DoH's well-intentioned, but eye-rollingly tedious hectoring about the lifestyles we should all be leading, is it assumes we all want to live until we're 98. I'm sure that looks like a fabulous prospect from their comfortable, upper middle class ivory towers. Winter on the slopes, summers in Tuscany

Meanwhile, back in the real world…...

Keep fighting the class war comrade. Graphic designers who post on mountain bike forums will be the backbone of the revolution. 🙂

Also, contaminated bagged salad can cause kidney failure. And 46% of all food poisoning cases in the US are related to vegetables, which is suprising seeing as all they eat is minced beef in a bun.

Aren't beansprouts the most dangerous thing you can eat or something?

Edit: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/craig-goldwyn/sprouts-e-coli-risk_b_875103.html

Solo, have I done something to upset you in a previous life/thread? I was genuinely curious why you thought my diet was not as healthy as I first thought and I don't understand why you don't want to tell me. I've surmised it's to do with the fruit juice, but are you really suggesting that 2 glasses of fruit juice in a day* - with a meal - is bad for me?

Looks like my 5 a day situation may take a turn for the worst...

{*edit, "in a day", not every day}

Graphic designers who post on mountain bike forums will be the backbone of the revolution

They'll close down all the post restaurants and have them replaced by Cornish Pasty shops.....

[i]They'll close down all the post restaurants and have them replaced by Cornish Pasty shops.....[/i]

Not if Jamie has anything to say about it !

** btw, whats a "post restaurant" ? **

Post = Posh typed badly......

Aren't beansprouts the most [s]dangerous[/s]revolting thing you can eat or something?

I'm already struggling with 5 a day

I need to have a look at some recipes

[i]I'm already struggling with 5 a day[/i]

Then don't. Eat meat.

I know I should be eating more veg though, just not very imaginative when it comes to cooking

It's all carp.

Eat what you like, one day you will die.

Yes and smoke fags as that is Bollocks to
I assume it is pretty hard for a meat eater as I am not certain that every single day [ perhaps one or two a month*] I achieve it and i am a vegan

Solo, have I done something to upset you in a previous life/thread?

* That means I dont eat 7 a day For example its possible to have some cereal and a crumpet at brekky, then a sandwich for dinner then some chips and cake for tea though it is pretty rare. Most days I will be over 10 I assume and i drink plenty of home made fruit juice