Research released yesterday revealed that nearly two thirds of England’s population have the New Years resolution of eating their 5 portions of fruit and veg a day.

A baked potato one of your 5? No, but over half the people surveyed thought it would be. 25% of 16-24 year olds questioned, believed they can achieve their 5 a day by taking a multi-vitamin.

The Department of Health’s 5 A DAY campaign’s findings also showed that only few people, 11%, would consider eating frozen, tinned or dried fruit and veg as an alternative to fresh produce despite them also counting towards your 5 a day.

Whilst the survey does show that the majority of people see eating five portions of fruit and veg a day as a simple and easy way to make improvements to their daily diet, New Year’s resolutions may not always be that easy to keep. Therefore, the research also looked at reasons why people may not be getting their all important five portions of fruit and veg a day.

  • Twenty-three per cent thought that it may be too expensive, especially fresh produce.
  • Twenty-one percent said they may not have time for the preparation and cooking of fruit and veg.
  • And, fourteen percent think fussy eaters might not be keen on the taste of some fruit and veg, and therefore, resist trying to eat it.

However, 5 A DAY ambassador and Eastenders actress Patsy Palmer disagrees: “To save on cost I always buy in-season fresh fruit and veg, or frozen and tinned, especially if I fancy something a bit more exotic. I don’t let time stop me or my kids getting their 5 A DAY either as I can whip up a tasty stir fry in minutes and my kids love snacking on dried fruit. And, for adding more taste try using garlic, onions, herbs and spices, which can help to can make the most boring dishes delicious.”

One extremely important point that most of those surveyed agreed on was how vital it is to eat our 5 portions of fruit and veg a day. Just over seventy percent of people plan to eat more fruit and veg because they’re packed with vitamins, minerals and are an excellent source of fibre and antioxidants essential to aid good health and help to reduce the risk killer diseases such as heart disease, stroke and some cancers.

The results of this survey show that 5 A DAY is still a simple and relevant health message for all. Eating a variety of 5 portions of fruit and veg every day is something we can take on board and hopefully stick to throughout the year.