What This Habit Helps You Do
This habit helps you build a solid nutritional foundation by making sure you’re consuming a variety of fruit and vegetables every day.
Fruit and veg provide vitamins, minerals, fibre and plant compounds that support digestion, heart health and long-term wellbeing. Aiming for at least five portions a day can help make your diet more balanced and nourishing.
Why It Works
Eating enough fruit and vegetables matters because they help protect your body from disease, keep your gut happy and support a healthy weight. The NHS recommends you aim for 5 portions of fruit and veg each day to lower the risk of serious health problems such as heart disease, stroke and some types of cancer.
Rather than thinking “I must overhaul my whole diet,” focusing on achieving your 5 a day is a simple, manageable way to make noticeable improvements to your eating habits.
For more on why this matters and what counts, see the NHS guide below:
What to do
Know what counts
A portion is roughly 80 g of fruit or vegetables — about the amount that fits in your palm. (Note: fruit juices only count as one portion per day even if you use lots of fruit or veg because of dental health and sugar content. )
Examples:
- One medium apple
- A small bowl of mixed salad
- Three heaped tablespoons of cooked veg
- 30 g of dried fruit at a meal
Spread your portions through the day
Don’t feel you have to eat all five in one sitting. Here are simple ways to get there:
- Breakfast: Add berries or banana to cereal or yoghurt
- Lunch: Pack a side salad or veg sticks
- Snack: Eat a piece of fresh fruit
- Dinner: Aim for two different vegetables on your plate
Make it easy
Keep fruit visible on the counter, frozen veg in the freezer and pre-chopped veg in the fridge.
Track your progress
For a few days, note how many portions you eat. Awareness helps you adjust the next day.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Assuming only fresh counts — frozen, tinned (in water or juice) and dried fruit all count.
- Drinking lots of juice and assuming it counts as multiple portions — it only counts once.
- Forgetting that pulses like beans and lentils count as one portion total no matter how much you eat.
- Skipping variety — different colours offer different nutrients. The more colours you eat, the better!
What You’ll Need
- Fruit you enjoy (fresh, frozen or tinned in juice)
- Vegetables you can easily add to meals
- A simple way of tracking portions (notes app, checklist, dinner plate view)
How to Know It’s Working
- You start noticing more colour on your plate.
- You feel more satisfied after meals.
- Your digestion feels smoother.
- You might even notice small boosts in energy and mood over time. These are subtle signs of improved nutrition.
Your Next Check-In
Bring a simple log of your fruit and veg portions from the past few days to our next session. We’ll talk about what’s working, what feels tricky and how to make this habit even more effortless.