Top ten facts about your 5 A DAY

One in two parents don’t realise that cooked food containing vegetables counts as one or more portions – spaghetti bolognese with tinned tomatoes, frozen peas and fresh carrots could add up to 3 portions of your 5 A DAY.

Fruit and vegetables don't have to be eaten on their own to count. You can also include any vegetables found in soups, stews, sandwiches and other dishes.

One in five parents don't have time to think about fruit and veg at meal times and reach for convenience foods. The good news is that fruit and vegetables contained in convenience foods like ready meals, pasta sauces, soups and puddings, do also contribute to your 5 A DAY. However, these ready-made foods can be high in salt, sugar and fat, which should only ever be eaten in moderation, so it's important to check the nutrition information on the labels and packaging.

96% of parents know that dietary supplements like vitamins and minerals do not count towards 5 A DAY. This is because many dietary supplements don't have the same nutritional benefits as fruit and vegetables.

While 95% of parents know that chips don't count. One in three parents still think wrongly that potatoes – when baked – count towards your 5 A DAY. Potatoes and other related vegetables such as yams and cassava do not count. This is because they are classified as starchy foods. These are important food groups in your diet but don't count towards your 5 A DAY.

Fresh, frozen, chilled, canned, 100% juice and smoothies all count, as do dried fruit and vegetables, Parents are getting the message as 91% of parents know fresh fruit and veg counts, 82.3% know that frozen veg counts, 80% know that 100% juice counts, 70% know that 100% fruit smoothies count, 70% of parents know that dried fruit counts and 63% think canned veg counts – but many don't realise that when you cook or prepare fruit and veg the goodness is still there!

Tomatoes are rich in the antioxidant lycopene and one portion of your 5 A DAY – approximately 80 grams – will equate to roughly a handful or 4 medium sized fresh tomatoes. Canned tomatoes are just as good as fresh, as one can contains more lycopene than the equivalent weight of fresh tomatoes – yet 3 in 10 parents still don't realise that tinned tomatoes can count towards your 5 A DAY.

Apples are full of vitamin C, and 91.4% of parents know that eating a medium sized apple counts as one portion of your 5 A DAY, with just 45 calories. Apples also contain quercetin – a flavanoid compound that may help reduce allergies and inflammation. 69% of parents know that dried apple pieces are good for you too and that a handful of dried fruit is one portion of your 5 A DAY.

One in two UK children have tricked their parents out of eating their 5 A DAY by telling their parents that they have had two portions, when really they've only had two slices of cucumber or tomato. One portion of cucumber is a 10 cm long section of the vegetable and 4 medium sized tomatoes (roughly half a tin) are needed to make one portion of each vegetable.

Only one in four parents realise that fresh fruit mixed with ice cream counts towards your 5 A DAY.

And, finally some parents' misunderstand what counts as a portion of 5 A DAY, with one in three admitting that their children know more than they do about 5 A DAY and nutrition.

For more information and tips on 'What Counts?' towards your 5 A DAY visit: www.nhs.uk/5aday