10 servings of fruit and veg a day?!

The original recommendation of 5 units per day was recently revoked. You can find out what this new diet rule is all about here.

A study led by the prestigious Imperial College London looked at how our diet affects disease and premature death. The results of the study are clear: Eating 10 portions of fruit and vegetables a day is clearly the best way to protect your body from the killers of our time. Cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cancer are particularly noteworthy. A diet rich in fruit and vegetables had a positive effect on all of these diseases.

Although the research group did not deny that 5 servings of plant-based foods are good for the health status of the body, but the effects were even more pronounced in participants who ate 10 units better. The researchers even assume that 7.8 million premature deaths could be avoided every year worldwide if more fruit and vegetables could be found on the plates.

But what does that mean for us now? First of all, it seems important to define the amount that the researchers have defined as a serving of fruit and vegetables. Accordingly, a unit of fruit or vegetables is 80 g of the respective food. 80g corresponds to a small banana, a small apple, a pear or even a tomato.

Even if 10 units sounds like an incredible amount, it seems more feasible when divided into 3 meals and 2 small snacks. For example, muesli with bananas and berries for breakfast, an apple as a snack until lunch, then a plate of pasta with tomato and vegetable sauce for lunch A few carrots and celery with hummus as an afternoon snack and then a mixed salad with delicious bread for dinner and the 10 units are full.

And you don't have to do 10 units straight away and just think about food all day. But it still seems to be really good for us to integrate more fruits and vegetables into our daily diet. Of course, it tastes best with ingredients from your own garden or balcony.