4 Vegetables That Don’t Count As One Of Your Five A Day

We’ve written before at HuffPost UK about the fruits and vegetables most linked to disease prevention. In fact, some research suggests that eating three portions of vegetables a day and two portions of fruit is linked to a longer life (though 70% of us don’t actually manage to hit those goals).

Worse, what “counts” as a vegetable for these purposes, as well as what a serving actually entails, can be more confusing than you might expect.

The World Health Organisation says we should eat 400g of fruits and vegetables a day, a suggestion which has been packaged as “five-a-day” campaigns in places like the UK. That means you’d actually need to eat two of some smaller fruits, e.g. clementines, to consume a single portion.

And even though they’re technically classed as vegetables, some produce doesn’t “count” towards your five-a-day at all.

While a potato is a vegetable, it doesn’t count as a serving of your five a day.

That’s not because it’s not a vegetable (it is), but because some research shows it doesn’t give you as many health benefits as others.

Studies have found that eating certain fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of death from chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

But there were exceptions to this rule: fruit juices and starchy vegetables.

As they may not contribute as well to the health goals campaigns like five a day are designed to help us reach, or due to their nutritional make-up, these are usually left out of the program’s recommendations.

Fruit juices, vegetable juices and smoothies are only ever counted as one of your five-a-day, the NHS says, no matter how much of them you drink.

They added that we should stay under 150ml a day, because these beverages are often lower in fibre and higher in sugar.

Meanwhile, foods like potatoes, which are classed as a “starchy food”, don’t count at all because “when they’re eaten as part of a meal they’re usually used in place of other sources of starch, such as bread, rice or pasta”.

Other examples of vegetables that wouldn’t be counted include:

1. Potatoes
2. Yams
3. Cassava
4. Plantain

There is some evidence to suggest that peas and sweetcorn might confer fewer health benefits, but the NHS still counts these as one of your five-a-day.

Interestingly, sweet potatoes, parsnips, swedes and turnips do still count, because they’re usually eaten alongside the starchy part of your dinner.

Just because a vegetable doesn’t contribute towards your five-a-day does not mean it’s unhealthy. Far from it, in fact – a lot of people in the UK rely on potatoes for their vitamin C intake, for example, and the tubers are a great source of fibre too.

Nuts don’t count as your five-a-day either, but eating them every day has been linked to a longer, healthier life.

In other words, this isn’t about avoiding foods off the “five-a-day” list. Just try to eat them alongside the suggested intake of other fruits and vegetables, too.