Juicy tomatoes, glossy cherries, crisp apples, nutty broccoli, sweet peppers - with such a variety of colourful and tasty foods counting as a portion of fruit and veg, can it really be that hard to get our 5 A Day!

Apparently, yes, as while we're eating more of the lovely stuff than we were ten years ago, only one in three of us is reaching the target.

Why is this a concern? Because evidence suggests that eating the equivalent of our 5 A Day is associated with reducing the risk of heart disease and some cancers.  And that's a s good a reason as any to eat more of the goodness.  It's not just fresh fruit and veg that count towards our 5 A Day - frozen, canned in juice or water and dried also count (and fruit juices).

Mix your colours:  To get the maximum benefits, we need to eat a wide range of fruit and veg.  This is because different fruit and vegetables have unique combinations of fibre, minerals and  other nutrients.


Fresh ideas

The Co-operative has a long history of promoting public health.  In 1844, their founders, The Rochdale Pioneers (right), helped introduce good quality food to working people who were otherwise getting a raw deal from relailers.  Their current strategy focuses on helping their customers make healthier choices thouth their range and their approach to honest labelling.
Continuing this ether, they've thought up lots of ideas to help make it easier for us to get our 5 A Day.  Here's how ...

Convenience
The Co-operative Food stores are brimming with fesh produce, but many of us don't always have time to prepare ameal from scratch.  In late 2011 they launched a range of ready-to-cook and prepared vegetables, for speedy meals.  They're introducing more products in this range, including even bigger stir-fry vegetable packs - brilliant for families.  There will also be new food-to-go salads, veg pots and prepared fruits - just the job for on-the-go lunches and lunchboxes.

Cost
They're making a case of 5 A Day where it really counts these days - in the purse or wallet.  They ensure that a selection of fruit and veg are included in their promotional offers each month. Also, salads, fruit pots and pure juices are included in lunchtime meal deals and vouchers in the Membership magazine offer bonus points linked to fruit and vegetable purchases.

Communication
They're getting the word out about 5 A Day with clear, customer-friendly messages. Their fruit and veg packs carry a bold 5 A Day message.  There's also plenty of 5 A Day advice and updates about seasonal produce on their website.

Finally a note on products such as ready meals and soups - the Co-operative only puts a 5 A Day message on their own brand products if the products meet their strict guidelines on sugar, fat, saturated fat and salt; this includes recipes in the magazine too.  They hope that, with their help, we will reach the target.  Have a look at what's in store and you'll discover that 5 A Day isn't a task - it's a very tasty target!

5 A Day - the facts

• Portion size: an adult 5 A Day portion is 80g fresh, frozen or canned fruit or veg.  As a rough guide, this is around one handful.
• Fresh fruit: One portion could include one piece of a medium-sized fruit, such as an apple or banana, or a slice of larger fruits, such as melon or pineapple.
• Vegetables: A portion of veg could includ, for example, three heaped tablespoons of fresh, canned or frozen peas, or two spears of broccoli.
• Dried fruit: This also makes up your 5 A Day, and you only need 30g to eat a portion.
• Beans and pulses: Around three heaped tablespoons equals one portion.  However, beans and pulses count as only one portion, no matter how many you eat.
• Fruit juice: One medium glass counts as a portion. As with beans and pulses, it makes only one portion regardless of how much you drink in a day.
• Potatoes: Not counted as one of your 5 A Day, because potatoes are classified nutritionally as a starchy food.

All this sounds like hard work but I should imagine that after a couple of weeks counting the 5 A Day would become second nature.

This article is from the Autumn 2012 Co-operative Magazine. See: http://www.co-operative.coop/food/health/5-a-day/

(Also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5_A_Day?)

Beginnings of the Co-operative: http://www.therochdalepioneers.co.uk/news and http://socialenterprise.guardian.co.uk/social-enterprise-network/2012/jan/16/co-operative-contribution-social-enterprise-development