Did You Know Heinz Beans Count Towards Your 5-a-day ?

We all know how important it is to get your kids (not to mention the grown-ups) eating their five recommended daily portions of fruit and veg, but let's face it - sometimes when you dash in from work, tired, with hungry kids and a near empty fridge, it all seems quite complicated ! I thought this report from Heinz made interesting, not to mention reassuring, reading.

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Are You Getting Enough of the Good Stuff?

New research from Heinz Beanz shows that only 21% of the nation eat their five-a-day

- A quarter of women claim it’s too expensive to eat five-a-day -

- 52% say it’s too difficult -

- 1 in 5 are unaware they need to eat five portions of fruit and veg a day -

- One third don’t realise that tinned fruit and veg can provide one of your five-a-day -

- Children snack on sweet treats up to five times a week -

We’re all urged to eat our five daily portions of fruit and vegetables, however, shocking new research from the nation’s favourite beans brand, Heinz, has today revealed that when it comes to healthy eating we’re just not getting enough of the good stuff.

Despite 79% of the nation knowing we need to reach the target five-a-day, only a paltry 21% say they actually manage to, with the average person eating just three portions each day. More worryingly, on the 20th anniversary of the five-a-day message, one in five Brits say they don’t even realise they need to eat five portions of fruit and veg per day!

When it comes to what’s holding us back it seems busy lives and tighter purse strings have had an impact on our diet with the research showing:

Over half (52%) claim it’s not that easy to eat five-a-day and is too difficult to plan in advance

A quarter of women claim that it’s too expensive to eat five portions of fruit and veg each day

42% of men who don’t get their five-a-day claim they don’t because they never think about it

Over half of parents (55%) believe that when it comes to your five-a-day the portions of fruit and veg don’t have to be different, when in fact it is recommended that we eat a mixture of fruit and vegetables to achieve the daily guideline.

Only half of those questioned were aware that baked beans can count as one portion. In fact just three tablespoons of Heinz Beanz counts towards your five a day – good news for the 31% who didn’t even realize that tinned fruit and veg can count!

Shockingly, one tenth of the nation believe that carrot cake counts towards their five-a-day, showing that some greedy Brits think they really can have their cake and eat it! However despite the confusion over what counts as a portion, one in five correctly identified an adult portion of fruit or veg as around 80g.

Last but not least, when questioned about what counts as one of our five-a-day, men are the most clueless, with nearly half (46%) incorrectly identifying potatoes as counting towards the daily allowance. And the widespread confusion doesn’t stop there, with those surveyed incorrectly identifying the below as counting as one of their five-a-day:

Cereal (9%)

Rice (9%)

Chips (7%)

Carrot Cake (5%)

Pasta (4%)

The younger generation is the worst at getting their five-a-day with the majority of 16-24 year olds only eating half their recommended daily intake. Perhaps not surprising as the research also revealed that when it comes to keeping our kids healthy we’re a nation of secret snackers, with children snacking on sweet and savory treats an average of five times a week.

Leading nutritionist, Dr Juliet Gray, says, “The new survey from Heinz shows that although the majority of people are aware of needing to eat more fruit and veg, only one in five say that they actually make it to their five-a-day. What's particularly worrying is that it's the younger people who fare worst. Half of those questioned thought eating five-a-day was difficult because of advance planning and wastage, but if you keep the freezer and store cupboard well stocked then you can always have some vegetables to go with a meal – that's where baked beans can really score, especially as they are popular with children. It's also really important in these cash-strapped times to remind people that you don't have to eat what can be expensive fresh fruits and veg – frozen, dried and canned varieties are all nutritious and count towards the five, and can make it easier to juggle a tight household budget.”

Paula Jordan, Heinz Beanz Marketing Director, comments: “As a nation we really need to brush up on our knowledge when it comes to getting our five-a-day. The findings from Heinz show that due to hectic lives and higher costs of living, the majority of us are not eating enough fruit and veg. We want to remind busy Brits of the health benefits of baked beans and show the nation that getting your five-a-day needn’t be that hard – just three tablespoons of Heinz Beanz count as one of your daily portions.”

The findings come as Heinz have redesigned their iconic Heinz Beanz label to reassure the nation that the beans we all know and love are positively healthy too. Helping drive home the five-a-day message the new cans feature clear labeling that mean the health benefits of Heinz Beanz have never been easier to understand.

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

Heinz Beans Fridge Pack review

Good Natured Salads review

Mother's Day cocktails from Food Network UK - get your 5 a day and alcohol in one !