Baked beans?

[R1Geezer]

Do they count towards "5 a day"?

[Mrs Y]

Yes, they do; three heaped tablespoons of baked beans is classed as one portion of your five a day.

Have a look at the 5-a-day website for full listings of what counts:- http://www.5aday.nhs.uk/whatcounts/portionsize s.aspx

[sqad617]

R.1Geezer....5 "what" a day. LOL

[Gormless]

What puzzles me about the 5-a-day thing is that if 14 brussels sprouts are 1 portion, why are 28 not 2 portions? Why if a glass of tomato juice is 1 portion is a whole carton not 3?

[hippyhoppy]

gormless - I concurr... apparently it was to be different fruit/veg... otherwise I'l be stuffing grapes all day and not look at a carrot or pea!!

[daniela31]

I think it is gormless. The more you have the better. The 5 a day is a minimum of what you should be having, the actual number is somewhere nearer to 14.
So yes 28 sprouts is 2 portions.
:-)

[sqad617]

Gormless, I agree entirely......this 5portions a day for fruit and veg is nonsense, in my opinion.
What would happen if you only had 4portions for a month or 3 portions or 6?. What is "magical" about the number 5? I seem to remember that there was an article in a medical journal where a specialist admitted that he had picked the number 5 out of "the air". Total myth leading to the obsessions that we now see in health.

[daniela31]

sqad, see my answer above. The 5 a day is a minimum.
You can have as many as you like. It all leads to a healthy body.
Have a few grapes and a banana and stop moaning.
:-)

[sqad617]

Oi daniela...rad my answer.....I asked what would happen if you only had 4 portions?........no answers yet.

[Ethel]

Nothing much would happen, sqad - the 5 a day is a guide in a very simple form to help those buffoons who feed their kids rubbish day in and day out, with no fruit or veg at all.

They couldn't understand more complex instructions.

[sqad617]

Ethel LOL LOL.......but it is not only the "buffoons", we know "intelligent "people who stick to the letter of rhe law, who are a "pain in the @rse, going on and on about their 5 portions.

[ummmm]

My cousin only eats crisps and mini chedders. I mean he does not eat anything else at all.

[daniela31]

Ethel is correct on this one and I agree. Mothers today do not cook meals for their children that include vegetables. It's all pizza, chips and ice cream nowadays.
Fresh veg is quite cheap and should be integrated into a childs diet everyday.
Adults can eat what they like if they want to, but everyone knows that a childs health is the responsability of the parent.

So sqad if you want to experiment with only having 3 or 4 veg a day..................just to see what happens...................then that is your choice.
:-)

[Scarlett]

Its just to try and get people to eat 5 different types of food that are good for you. If you ate 28 sprouts you would probably pay for it in other ways. If you had 7 sprouts, some tomato juice, an apple, some raisins, some peas and some beans that's better than Sunny D, chicken dippers and some cack.

[daniela31]

And cack is?......................
don't think I have seen that in our shop.
LOL

[sqad617]

daniella......I do understand what you are saying, but one of my points is that it has become a National obsession and in many cases strains friendships, with the "I must have my 5 portions" mentality.

In answer also daniella.......I have no idea how many "portions" of fruit and veg I have had in my life on a daily basis, but I am 74yrs of age, so I must have done something right.

[daniela31]

Maybe your mother used to make proper meals for you sqad when you were a child?

:-)

[sqad617]

No, we were very poor, but that isn't my point.
The 5portions a day slogan has been taken up by the "middle classes" who are the group that probably eat sensibly, it is the "lower classes" (if I can use that term) that need the advice, but probably don't take it as their kids like pizza and chips, burgers etc.
Again I use the phrase "middle class obsession"

[daniela31]

You are missing the point here sqad.
Some people do need re-educating on what is good for them as there is no domestic science taught in schools anymore.
ready meals seem to be the norm, fresh fruit and veg and alien words to some families, and home cooked food is almost non existant.
What would happen if the youth of today started getting scurvey and rickets from lack of natural vitamins? and the mother would say...'well he eats chips, that's potato isn't it?'

[R1Geezer]

Thanks everybody, I'll be sure to have beans with my fry up tomorrow in the knowledge that i'm eating healthily!

[Sneekykid]

I have just been told that Bacon sandwiches count as '2'. ie. The pigs eats vegies and stuff so.......... and the bread is made of cereal! So I suppose hot dogs are much the same?