Background
The 5 A Day campaign is based on studies from the World Health Organization. It concluded that we need about 400g of fruit and/or vegetables for good health. This works out to about 5 portions.
- A portion of a raw fruit or vegetable is 80g. A portion of juice is 150g. If referring to a concentrate, the portion size is reduced. For example, pureed tomato concentrated four-fold, the portion size is 20g.
To determine how to calculate 5 A Day, NutriCalc follows the recommendations of the UK Institute of Grocery Distribution (UK IGD) best practice guide.
- Only one portion of a specific fruit or vegetable may be included in the calculation. Example, if the serving provides, 1.35 portions of tomato, the extra 0.35 will not be included.
- If the limit for saturates, sugars, and/or salt per serving is exceeded, the Five A Day claim may not be made.
How do I see the 5 A Day information for a recipe?
- Open the Recipe and select the Reports tab.
- Navigate to the 5 A Day card and click View. You will see how many portions this product contains.
If the selection does not qualify, an explanation appears clarifying the reason.
How to assign 5 A Day
Most of the UK Main Ingredients database foods have been assigned the 5 A Day portion. However, for user-added and USDA foods, this information must be manually assign to the 5 a Day portion.
Step 1: Open the ingredient and select the Details tab.
Step 2: Navigate to the 5 a Day card.
Step 3: Click on the (NONE) to open the list of possible ingredients.
Step 4: Select the appropriate Fruit or Vegetable from the list. Add the g per portion.
A pop up window will appear asking if NutriCalc should calculate the portion size based on the nutritional information given. This is useful if the ingredient is a dried or concentrated ingredient.
Select Yes to have NutriCalc calculate the portion size.
Select No for an unchanged fruit or vegetable, and enter 80g or enter 150g for a non-concentrated juice.