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Why is
fruit good for you?
Cancer and coronary heart
disease account for 60% of all
early deaths. A key feature of
the Government's prevention
strategy to reduce early deaths
from these diseases is action to
improve diet and nutrition.
Current recommendations are that
everyone should eat at least 5
portions of a variety fruit and
vegetables each day, to reduce
the risks of cancer and coronary
heart disease and many other
chronic diseases. Yet average
fruit and vegetable consumption
among the population in England
is less than 3 portions a day.
Consumption tends to be lower
among children and people on low
incomes.
The main barriers to eating more
fruit and vegetables are:
Nutritional Chart
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To
view the fruit & veg nutrition chart and
discover more about
nutrients in your food
click here
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Five a Day
Eating five or more fruits or
vegetables a day are an
important plan for a healthy
living. This is because fruits
and vegetables contain
vitamins, minerals, fibre and
phytochemicals that your body
needs to keep healthy and
energetic.
The colours of the fruits are
also important in
distinguishing what they do.
Blue/ Purple
Decrease the risk of cancer
Healthy aging
Urinary tract health
Memory function
Green
Lowers the risk of some
cancers
Vision Health
Strong bones and teeth
White
Heart health
Cholesterol levels that is
already healthy
A lower risk of cancers
Yellow/Orange
Heart Health
Vision Health
A healthy Immune system
A lower risk of some cancers
Red
Heart Health
Memory Function
A lower risk of some cancers
Urinary Tract Health
Fresh, frozen, chilled,
canned, 100% juice and dried
fruit and vegetables all count
towards your 5 a day.
To get the maximum benefits,
you need to eat different
types of fruit and vegetables.
This is because fruit and
vegetables all contain
different combinations of
fibre, vitamins, minerals and
other nutrients. So aim to
include a variety of fruit and
vegetables in your 5 A DAY to
get the most benefit. |
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Enjoy your 5 A Day with Del
Monte
Famous for its fruit expertise,
Del Monte has made it easy to
achieve your 5 A DAY by
providing delicious high quality
fruit whenever and however you
want it.
For example we supply Bananas
the UK’s favourite fruit, to
many of our leading supermarkets
and in the winter time our Del
Monte melons from Brazil or
Costa Rica are famous throughout
the world for their
fantastically high quality.
You can also indulge in Del
Monte GoldTM Extra Sweet
Pineapple, a succulent, sweet
pineapple grown exclusively by
Del Monte in Costa Rica.
For a quick snack, try Del Monte
Apple Bites or Apple & Grape
Bites, both packed with
deliciously juicy, ready-to-eat
fruit pieces – perfect for on
the go and a healthy alternative
to a packet of crisps. Each bag
is equivalent to one portion of
your 5 A Day. Look out for the 5
A Day logo on the bag.
And don’t forget fresh, frozen,
canned, 100% juice and dried
fruit all count towards your 5 A
DAY. As Del Monte is the leading
brand in canned fruit and juice
beverages, Del Monte is the
perfect brand to choose for a
healthier lifestyle. |
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Fruit for Schools
The school Fruit and Vegetable
scheme is part of the 5 A DAY
programme to increase fruit and
vegetable consumption. Under the
scheme, all four to six year old
children in LEA maintained
infant, primary and special
schools will be entiltled to a
free piece of fruit or vegetable
each day.
The scheme has been very
successful. Parents reported for
example that over a quarter of
children and their families eat
more fruit at home after their
school joined the scheme.
Del Monte are playing their part
as part of this govenmemt
scheme. Del Monte supply Bananas
to over 6000 schools, delivering
800,000 pieces of fruit each
week.
The health benefits of eating
fruit and vegetables
Increasing consumption of fruit
and vegetables can significantly
reduce the risk of many chronic
diseases. It has been estimated
that eating at least 5 portions
of a variety of fruit and
vegetables a day could reduce
the risk of deaths from chronic
diseases such as heart disease,
stroke, and cancer by up to 20%.
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It has been estimated that
diet might contribute to the
development of one-third of
all cancers, and that
increasing fruit and vegetable
consumption is the second most
important cancer prevention
strategy, after reducing
smoking. |
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Higher consumption of fruit and
vegetables also reduces the risk
of coronary heart disease and
stroke. A recent study found
that each increase of 1 portion
of fruit and vegetables a day
lowered the risk of coronary
heart disease by 4% and the risk
of stroke by 6%. Evidence also
suggests an increase in fruit
and vegetable intake can help
lower blood pressure.
Research suggests that there are
other health benefits too,
including delaying the
development of cataracts,
reducing the symptoms of asthma,
improving bowel function, and
helping to manage diabetes. Some
fruit and vegetables are also
good sources of folate (such as
green leafy vegetables and
oranges). All women of
childbearing age are recommended
to increase their consumption of
foods naturally rich in folate
and foods fortified with folic
acid.
As well as the direct health
benefits, eating fruit and
vegetables can help to achieve
other dietary goals including
increasing fibre intake,
reducing fat intake, help
maintain a healthy weight, and
substituting for foods with
added sugars (as frequent
consumption of foods with added
sugars can contribute to tooth
decay).
The message at the heart of the
5 A DAY programme - to eat at
least 5 portions (400g) of a
variety of fruit and vegetables
each day - is consistent with
dietary recommendations around
the world, including those from
the World Health Organization.
The reason why fruit and
vegetables are so beneficial is
because of their array of
compounds. As well as vitamins
and minerals, fruit and
vegetables also contain many
complex plant components called
phytochemicals. Some of the
vitamins and phytochemicals are
also antioxidants, destroying
free radicals in the body. These
free radicals are known to have
a role in causing cancer as well
as other harmful effects.
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