2 Fruits and 5 Veggies: Is it Really the Daily Magic Number?

We know that fruits and vegetables are an essential part of a healthy diet. But exactly how much fruit and veggies we should be eating daily is something we usually don’t think about. Is the proverbial ‘an apple a day’ enough, or do you need to be stuffing down salads every chance you get?

Australian dietary guidelines recommend eating 2 fruits and 5 veggies a day. The idea of eating a specific number of fruit and vegetable servings has been around for a long time, with the first major health campaign taking place in Victoria between 1992 and 1995. Since then, the 2 & 5 recommendation has been adopted across Australia and beyond.

But is this really the daily magic number for a healthy diet? We look at the science behind the 2 & 5 number, what these servings look like in real life, and how you can benefit from eating more fruits and veggies.

Spoiler alert: Yes, you really should try to get your 2 & 5 fruits and veggies every day, though it’s not a one-size-fits-all requirement.

The Science Behind ‘2 & 5 Fruit and Veg’

It’s not enough to just eat fruits and vegetables; you need to eat enough of them, and most Australians do not. According to a nutrition survey by the Australian government, only 6.4% of people eat the recommended servings of vegetables, while about half (54%) eat enough fruits.

This is a big problem because studies show that insufficient consumption of fruits and vegetables is associated with a higher risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, hypertension, and other chronic health conditions.

Eating plenty of fruits and veg leads to a lower risk of dying from these diseases. In one study, researchers compared people who ate 5 combined servings of fruits and vegetables each day with those who only ate 2 servings.

People in the 5 servings group had a 10-13% lower risk of total, cancer, and cardiovascular mortality, than those who ate 2 servings.

Several other studies have shown that having at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day is the optimal number to stay healthy and live longer. So the ‘eat 2 fruit and 5 veg every day’ recommendation is rooted in proven science.

That said, it’s not set in stone that you should strictly eat 2 fruits and 5 vegetables a day. Instead of getting obsessed with counting, have a fruit or vegetable with every meal you eat. Then add a couple of fruit/veg snacks in between meals, and you’ll hit your daily target.

What Does a Serving of Fruits and Vegetables Look Like?

One serving of veggies is about half a cup of cooked vegetables, such as spinach, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and peas. For raw vegetables for salads, a serving is one cup.

One serving of fruit is about one medium-size whole fruit of banana, apple, orange, peach, and other similar-sized fruits. For dried, chopped, cooked, or canned fruit, half a cup counts as one serving.

Health Benefits of Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are some of the best dietary sources of vitamins, minerals, and fibre. These nutrients have wide-ranging health benefits. Here are the most notable ones:

• Vitamins (A, C, E, and others) from fruits and veggies support everyday body functions, like fighting off infections, healing wounds, and skin health.
• Fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants and anti-inflammatory phytochemicals that reduce and prevent chronic inflammation in the body. Inflammation contributes to most chronic diseases, so getting your 2 & 5 daily reduces your risk of conditions like cancer, heart disease, and stroke.
• Eating sufficient fruits and vegetables supports and improves athletic performance by maintaining overall health. In addition, fruits and veg contain nitrates that reduce blood pressure and increase blood flow, antioxidants that reduce muscle damage and speed up recovery, vitamins that support your immune system (intense exercise can suppress immunity), and they act as ergogenic (performance-enhancing) aids.
• Fruits and vegetables contain minerals like zinc, potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus, which are important for your bones, muscles, heart, and brain.
• They also contain a lot of fibre, one of the most crucial nutrients for your health. Fibre doesn’t just support digestion and bowel movement; it also reduces bad cholesterol (great for heart health), helps with blood sugar control, and maintains good gut health.
• The combined benefits of fruits and vegetables, from the disease-preventing antioxidants to the bone-strengthening minerals, encourage healthy ageing. You’ll enjoy a longer healthspan.

Eat the Rainbow: Why Variety Matters

To get the most out of your 2 & 5 daily fruits and veggies, variety is important. Eating different kinds and colors of fruits and vegetables ensures you get as many nutrients as possible.

Variety refers to:

• Eating many different types of fruits and vegetables, instead of having the same ones every day.
• Eating many different colours of fruits and veg. Eating a variety of colours is a good way to ensure you get a wide range of nutrients. For instance, red foods, like tomatoes, grapes, and melon, contain lycopene, which is good for prostate health. Green leafy veggies contain lutein and zeaxanthin, which protect your eyes as you age.
• Eating both cooked and raw fruits and vegetables. Raw and cooked foods may have different nutrients, so having both increases the variety of nutrients that you get.

How to Add More Fruits and Vegetables to Your Diet

You do not have to overhaul your diet to eat 2 & 5 fruits and veggies. Do not make any radical changes or exclude entire food groups; such drastic moves are usually harmful and unsustainable.

Instead, incorporate fruits and vegetables to your current diet to make it balanced. Eat a few berries along with your morning cereal, add some spinach to your lunch, eat a fruit for snack, or have a salad along with your dinner.

It also doesn’t have to be boring. There are so many interesting and delicious ways to enjoy fruits and vegetables. If you’re not a fan of raw salads, this roasted veggie salad is packed with flavour. For something hearty, you can add just about any vegetable you have in this slow-cooked beef stew.

As for fruits, you can eat them canned, frozen, in smoothies, in fruit salads, or add them to other foods, like yogurt, cereal, and pancakes (like these fluffy banana pancakes).

Note: Starchy vegetables like potatoes, yams, and corn do not count towards your 5-a-day since they mostly contribute starch. You can eat them (in moderation), but you still need to add other veggies.

Athletic Performance Starts in the Kitchen

When we think about athletic performance, we often only think about exercise. While being active and hitting the gym are important, a healthy, balanced diet is just as essential. Your health and fitness starts in the kitchen.

At Ace Sports Clinic Malvern, we specialise in improving performance, reducing injury and supporting recovery through a variety of therapies, including physiotherapy, osteopathy, and massage therapy.

While we do not have nutrition experts among our skilled teams, we can recommend a qualified dietician or nutritionist to guide you in making your diet more balanced by adding more fruits and vegetables.

Contact us today on 03 9824 8001 if you’d like us to recommend a reliable dietician, or if you want to learn more about our tailored therapies.

Disclaimer: This blog post is for informational purposes only. Consult with a qualified professional for personalised guidance based on your specific needs and circumstances.