Fruits and vegetables: What consists of one serving?
updated the 6 October 2015 à 23:34
Doctors say we should eat four servings of fruits and vegetables a day – we try our hardest, but what does “one serving” even mean? Let us find out.
You see fruits and vegetables everywhere – in the press, on TV, on billboards, yet it is explained nowhere. What exactly does a serving of fruits and vegetables mean? We doubt that a cherry apple is worth the same as a pumpkin…but then what is? Though some brands of ready-made products like soups or sauces specify this, when it comes to fresh fruits and vegetables, it is still a total blur. Let us help make things a little clearer – above is a list to better navigate our dietary choices.
Take 2 servings of fruit and 3 servings of vegetables a day
What the campaign has failed to mention, though, is that the shape and variety of fruits and vegetables is just as important as the quantity. Clearly, eating 5 cucumbers a day is not the best idea. Likewise, consuming plants only in juice or soup form is not going to do much good. First of all, vegetables should actually outnumber fruit (the slogan should specify 3 servings of vegetables and one fruit). Second, the variety of fruits and vegetables is also incredibly important. A simple way to be sure that we make the best choices is to diversify cooking, textures and especially the colours that vary according to the nutrients found in plants. Red fruits contain antioxidants that are not present in mango. It contains lots of beta carotene, while green leafy vegetables are rich in Vitamin B.
We cannot emphasize enough that balance is made of a bit of everything.
Special thanks to Angelique Houlbert, dietician and author of La meilleure façon de manger, éd. Souccar (The best way to eat, ed. Souccar)
Mauren DIAMENT
