Fruits and vegetables are valuable sources of vitamins, mineral, fibre and phytonutrients. Numerous studies document the health benefits from eating fruits and vegetables. The latest recommendation from the EU is to eat 8 portions a day, yet most people do not even eat the previously recommended 5 portions.

For a family of just four, the logistics and cost of these new guidelines is something to seriously consider.

What's more, recent studies report that today's fresh fruits and vegetables are lower in vitamins and minerals than they were just 50 years ago. For example two peaches in 1951 would have supplied a woman's RDA of vitamin A, today she would have to eat almost 53 peaches* to meet this requirement.

So not only are we not eating enough fruit and vegetables, those that we are eating are lacking in vital vitamins and minerals. And what's more, when we cook them these nutrients are depleted even more!

*  Christian J. Charts: Nutrient changes in vegetables and fruits, 1951 to 1999. CTV.ca News 2002

Reference:

Mayer A-M. Historical changes in the mineral content of fruits and vegetables. Brit Food J 1997; 96(6): 207-11.