MILLIONS of wine lovers think their favourite tipple counts as part of their five-a-day quota of fruit and veg.
One in 20 think that because it is made from grapes, a daily drop of vino is part of a healthy diet, research by Aldi found.
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But Sun nutritionist Amanda Ursell says: “The grapes won’t count because of wine’s alcohol content.”
Another survey by Birds Eye found that people even believe a Bounty Bar counts as one of their daily allowance because it contains coconut.
But there are some unlikely everyday foods which actually are more nutritious than you might think.
Here, Amanda and weight loss expert Ania Mason tell Yasmin Harisha where you can sneak in your five a day.
Hummus – YES
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AMANDA SAYS: “A healthy hummus can count as one of your five a day because, like baked beans, chickpeas are a pulse vegetable.
“Eat it with slices of carrots, cucumber and pepper and you can easily bump this up to two of your five.”
Orange juice – YES
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AMANDA SAYS: “Having a 150ml serving of orange juice would count as one of your five – but having 300ml does not mean you can tick off two.
“Whatever you are having drink-wise, experts limit the amount of fruit you can count in a smoothie or fruit juice to the equivalent of just one 150ml serving.”
Plantain – NO
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AMANDA SAYS: “Fruit obviously count as one of your five. But unlike the closely related banana, plantains are counted as a starchy carbohydrate, like potatoes, rather than one of your five a day.
“They give you 91 calories per 80g portion and more if fried.”
Tomato puree – YES
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AMANDA SAYS: “Tomato puree does count as one of your portions, although it’s unlikely you would get through the amount you need by itself.
“It’s more likely to count when used within a dish like a healthy spaghetti bolognese, which also has onions, garlic and tomatoes.”
Apple pie – NO
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AMANDA SAYS: “There are two good reasons why apple pie doesn’t count.
“First, you would have to have a huge portion to get anywhere close to having an 80g serving of apple.
“And second, if you did, the pie would provide so much fat, sugar and, therefore, calories, it could never classify as a healthy option.”
Onions – YES
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AMANDA SAYS: “Often used in sauces or part of side dishes, you may forget that onions are part of your five a day.
“Roast one alongside a Sunday lunch or chomp your way through six spring onions in a salad.”
Tomato ketchup – NO
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AMANDA SAYS: “Big brands claim to use 148g of tomatoes to make 100g of sauce, but added sugar and the fact you only have 15g in a serving means this does not come up trumps in the healthy stakes.
“Sorry, kids – that’s just the way it is.”
Strawberry shake – YES
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AMANDA SAYS: “Yes, a strawberry milkshake can be part of your five a day. Just add 80g worth of fresh or frozen strawberries to milk.
“Strawberries help protect the heart, increase good cholesterol, lower blood pressure and guard against cancer.
“They are also packed with vitamins, fibre and high levels of antioxidants known as polyphenols.”
Ribena – NO
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AMANDA SAYS: “It may be made using blackcurrants, but the added sugar takes away any goodness from this fruit.
“Sugary drinks contribute towards obesity, and a lot of popular fizzy and flat drinks are highly acidic, too.
“Ribena is one of the worst offenders when it comes to acidity. And this can have a negative knock-on effect for your teeth.”
Spaghetti hoops – YES
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ANIA SAYS: “Tomatoes make up 41 per cent of this Heinz snack, so a small 205g serving (half a standard tin) can get your portion in.
“It’s the tomato sauce that puts it on the healthy list.”
Fruit jam – NO
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ANIA SAYS: “If you think that ordinary jam could count as one of your five-a-day, you will be surprised to learn that most brands contain approximately 60 per cent sugar and as little as 20 per cent fruit.
“A healthier alternative is chia jam, which is made from just raspberries cooked with seeds and a little water.”
Christmas pud – NO
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ANIA SAYS: “Christmas pudding contains dried fruit, which is not quite what your nutritionist would recommend.
“It is high in fructose which gets metabolised in the liver, putting additional stress on your body’s ability to detox. So it’s probably best we only have this at Christmas.”
Potatoes – NO
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AMANDA SAYS: “On the one hand, potatoes are a vegetable, but they are also a really good source of starchy carbohydrate.
“Experts have decided to put them in the second category, which means a baked potato would be the starchy carbohydrate part of a meal, rather than count as one of your five a day.”
Bloody Mary – NO
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AMANDA SAYS: “Nice try but the vodka in a Bloody Mary means health experts don’t allow us to use the tomato juice to contribute to our veg count for the day – even if you serve with a big stick of celery as a garnish.”
Onion bhaji – NO
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AMANDA SAYS: “It may contain onion, but you have to remember that the onion has been coated in flour and deep fried.
“So if you were to assign it with traffic light labelling, it would have a ‘red’ for fat.
“As a result, it can’t be given the OK as one of your five a day.”
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