THERE are some things you just shouldn’t count in your five per day.
Number one is the salad in your sandwich, unless there’s 80gs of it, which is unlikely.
Most sandwiches will probably only have one or two slices of cucumber/tomato or a sliver of lettuce – and that’s nowhere near 80g. Ready-made salads can come up short too, so be sure to check portion sizes.
Number two is onion rings. Yes, onions are vegetables, but by the time they are battered, deep fried and have salt added they will have become a HFSS food (high fat, sugar and salt). It would be reckless to promote these as part of your five per day routine.
Number three is tomato ketchup. Again, tomatoes are fruit and fruit is good, right? Wrong. The added salt and sugar undo the benefits. There are salt and sugar reduced versions available, but even these don’t count towards your five per day.
Number four is a grey area. Tinned and ready-made soups might contain enough vegetables to count towards five per day, but if you’re buying, it can be difficult to know just how much or what they contain. If you make it yourself you can put 80g portion sizes of fruit and vegetables in whilst keeping the salt to a minimum. The canned soups are particularly high in salt.
Number five are the increasingly popular crisps made from beetroot, parsnip, carrot etc. These can have a lot of added saturated fat and salt which would make them fall under the HFSS label.
Number six is pickled gherkins, onions and olives. These are vegetables and fruits but don’t count towards your five per day as they have added sugar and/or salt. Go for low salt and sugar versions.
Last on the list is fruit-based yoghurts and/or puddings. These will be made with fruit, of course, but rarely enough to make up a portion of 80g. Plus, they can and/or will have added sugars and saturated fats.
Lee McCusker (BA; MSc; MSc; MSc; ANutr; SENr) is a registered nutritionist from Belfast and can be found on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Email: attentive nutrition@gmail.com
