| General Information |
- Nutrients in fruit
Generally, fruit is rich in nutrients such as dietary fibre, minerals and vitamins which are very beneficial to health.
| Dietary Fibre |
It helps promote bowel’s health and prevent constipation. Particularly, soluble fibre can stabilise blood sugar and keep blood cholesterol under control. |
| Potassium |
It helps stabilise blood pressure and promote heart health. |
| Iron |
It is an essential component in the production of haemoglobin in red blood cells and helps prevent iron deficiency anaemia. |
| Vitamin B Complex |
It involves in the metabolism of carbohydrate, fat and protein and is one of the most essential nutrients for the body. |
| Vitamin C |
It enhances the absorption of iron from plant foods. It produces collagen, promotes growth and repair of cells, and speeds up healing of wounds. |
| β - Carotene |
It is an antioxidant and helps improve vision. |
- Recommended fruit intake
According to the "Healthy Eating Food Pyramid", the recommended fruit intake for different age groups is as follows:
| Children aged 2-5 years |
At least 1 serving of fruit |
| Children aged 6 years or above, teenagers, adults and elderly |
At least 2 servings of fruit |
- "One serving of fruit" is approximately equivalent to:
Remark:
One glass ≈ 240 ml; one bowl = 250 – 300 ml; one tablespoon ≈ 15 ml
* Compare to whole fruit, pure fruit juice contains less dietary fibre but a much higher sugar content. It is advisable to consume the whole fruit. Besides, consuming pure fruit juice in excess to ¾ glass would still be counted as having only one serving of fruit on the same day.
- What is not counted as one serving of fruit?
All fresh, canned and frozen fruits are included in the recommended daily fruit intake, except:
- fruit with a lot of added sugar (e.g. dessert)
- fruit with higher fat content (e.g. coconut, durian, avocado)
Therefore, it is advisable to eat different kinds of fresh fruits in order to obtain various nutrients.
For more information on healthy fruit recipes, please refer to the "EatSmart Recipes" in the "EatSmart@school.hk" Campaign website and "Recipes (fruit and vegetables)"
in the "EatSmart Restaurant Star+" Campaign website. |
| Fruit Classification |
There are 6 main categories of fruit:
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| Fruit Structure |
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The main sources of nutrition information: The Centre for Food Safety, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and The Nutrient Data Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The above information is for reference only. Please consult a healthcare professional or dietitian in case of doubt.
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