人體需要多少水果和蔬菜？

Experts say eating a range of fruit and veg is best, as part of a balanced diet, to protect against illness

Research suggests eating at least seven portions of fruit and vegetables a day is more effective at preventing disease than the government's current five-a-day recommendation.

Is five a day enough?

Yes - but people should eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, the government says. The advice is based on World Health Organization guidelines, which are 25 years old.

Dieticians say eating five a day is enough to get the protective benefits of fruit and veg - although eating more may be additionally beneficial.

What counts as a portion?

Fruit juice counts towards one portion of the recommended five portions per day

For an adult, a minimum of 400g of fruit and vegshould be eaten every day, or five portions of 80g.

The amount varies for children, based on activity levels and age, but a rough guide is that one portion should fit in the palm of their hand.

Fruit and vegetables do not have to be eaten on their own and can be cooked in dishes such as soups, stews or pasta meals.

Do tinned fruit and fruit juice count?

Yes. But juice should be unsweetened, and only counts as one portion a day, as it contains less fibre than whole fruits and vegetables.

Fruit must be tinned in natural juice, or water, with no added sugar or salt, and not in syrup, which lots of fruit is.

Beans and pulses also count, but again only as one portion as they contain fewer nutrients than other fruits and vegetables.

Smoothies may count towards more than one portion if they contain all the edible pulped fruit or veg, and depending on their ingredients.

Recommendations include frozen fruit and vegetables, and dried fruit, such as currants, dates, sultanas and figs.

Those in ready-meals and shop-bought pasta sauces, soups and puddings are also included, but advice urges "only to have them occasionally" or in small amounts as they are often high in salt, sugar and fat.

What about potatoes?

Potatoes do not count towards one of the five-a-day, but sweet potatoes do.

Potatoes are not one of the five-a-day items. This is because they mainly contribute starch to a healthy diet, which is a good source of energy and helps digestion.

They are classified in the same group as bread or pasta by the government.

Skins should be left on when cooking as they are a good source of fibre.

But sweet potatoes, parsnips, swedes and turnips do count as five-a-day foods, as they are usually eaten as well as the starchy bit of the meal.據英國廣播公司報道，專家表示，吃各種水果蔬菜對身體最爲有利，可以均衡飲食，預防疾病。

研究表明，一天至少吃7份水果蔬菜比政府目前提倡的一天五份可以更有效預防疾病。

一天五份夠不夠？

五份是可以的，但政府表示，一天至少應該吃五份。此建議是基於世界衛生組織已建立了25週年的指導方針。

飲食學專家說，一天吃五份水果蔬菜就足夠使人體獲益，儘管更多的水果蔬菜可能會帶來額外好處。

多少算是一份呢？

果汁是一天五份水果蔬菜中的一份。

對於成年人來說，一天最少吃400克水果蔬菜，或5份80克的水果蔬菜。

對兒童來說，攝入量因運動量與年齡有所不同，但有一個大體指導方法是他們的手掌能承擔的量就是一份的量。

各種水果蔬菜不必分開吃，可以做成湯、大雜燴或麪食。

罐頭水果和果汁算不算？

罐頭水果和果汁算，但果汁應該是未加糖的，由於果汁比完整的水果蔬菜含有的纖維少，只能算作一份。

水果必須是在天然果汁或水中，不添加任何糖或鹽，不是在糖漿中。很多水果罐頭用的是糖漿水。

豆類也算，但由於其比其他水果蔬菜含有的營養少，也只能算一份。

如果冰沙含有所有可食用漿狀果肉或蔬菜，可以不止算作一份，這取決於其中的成分。

還建議食用冷凍水果、蔬菜和乾果，如醋栗果、小葡萄乾、海棗、無花果等。

熟食和商店中買的意大利麪醬、湯和補丁中的水果蔬菜也算，但建議“偶爾吃這些東西”或食用量要少，因爲這些食物通常含有較多的鹽、糖和脂肪。

土豆算不算？

土豆不算，但甘薯算。

土豆不能算作一天五份中的一份，這是因爲土豆主要提供的是健康飲食需要的澱粉，對於補充體力和促進消化有益。

政府將土豆和麪包、意大利麪食歸爲一類。

烹飪時，土豆上的皮應該留着，因爲其中含有較多纖維。

但由於甘薯、歐洲蘿蔔、大頭菜、紅蘿蔔通常同含澱粉的食物一起吃，可以算作一天5份中的份量。