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Sufficient intake of fruits and vegetables has been associated with a reduced risk of chronic diseases and body weight management but the exact mechanism is unknown. The World Health Organisation and Food and Agriculture of the United Nations report recommend adults consume at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day excluding starchy vegetables. This review focuses on the importance of fruits and vegetables as well as the benefits and progress of nutrition education in improving intake.

For this narrative review, more than 100 relevant scientific articles were considered from various databases (e.g. Science Direct, Pub Med and Google Scholar) using the keywords Fruit and vegetable, Nutrition education, Body weight, Obesity, Benefits and challenges.

Existing data suggests that despite the protective effects of fruits and vegetables, their intake is still inadequate in many countries, especially developing ones. Consequently enhancing strategies to promote fruit and vegetable intake is essential for health promotion among the population. Several reviews confirm that a well-planned and behaviour-focused nutrition education intervention can significantly improve behaviour and health indicators.

Conclusion:

Despite challenges in nutrition education intervention programs, they are considered a good investment in terms of cost-benefit ratio. Rapid improvement in trends in nutrition education can be seen in many countries and the majority of interventions have been successful in increasing fruits and vegetables intake. It is recommended that health professionals use multiple interventions to deliver information in several smaller doses over time to ensure improved outcomes.

Fruit and vegetables should be an important part of your daily diet. They are naturally good and contain vitamins and minerals that help keep you healthy. They can also help protect against some diseases. Most people will benefit from eating more fruit and vegetables as part of a well-balanced, healthy diet and an active lifestyle. There are many varieties of fruits and vegetables available and many ways to prepare, cook and serve them.

Fruit and vegetables are best bought when they are in season. You should eat at least 5 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruit each day. Choose different colours and varieties. If you don’t look forward to eating fruit or vegetables, start slowly with those you like. Try serving, flavouring or cooking them in different ways. You can also disguise them in sauces, minced meals or curries.

Vitamins and Minerals in Fruit and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables contain many vitamins and minerals that are good for your health. Many of these are antioxidants, and may reduce the risk of many diseases:

• vitamin A (beta-carotene)
• vitamin C
• vitamin E
• magnesium
• zinc
• phosphorous
• folic acid

Folic acid may reduce blood levels of homocysteine, a substance that may be a risk factor for coronary heart disease. Research has shown that consuming these nutrients as food, including fruits and vegetables, is more beneficial for health than supplements.

Fruit and Vegetables for Good Health

Fruits and vegetables are low in fat, salt and sugar. They are a good source of dietary fibre, which can make you feel fuller for longer and prevent overconsumption of food. As part of a well-balanced, healthy diet and an active lifestyle, a high intake of fruit and vegetables can help you to:

• reduce obesity and maintain a healthy weight
• lower your cholesterol
• lower your blood pressure.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that adults eat at least 400g, or 5 portions, of fruit and vegetables (excluding potatoes, sweet potatoes and other starchy roots) per day to reduce the risk of disease. This amount of fruits and vegetables also ensures adequate fibre intake and can also reduce total sugar intake.