When people think of healthy eating, the first food items that often come to mind are fruit and vegetables. Fruit and vegetables contain a myriad of health-promoting nutrients and constituents, including antioxidants, phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre and plant proteins, etc. These natural bioactive compounds are likely to act synergistically to prevent or slow down the onset of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) through various potential mechanisms.

Epidemiological studies showed that high versus low fruit and vegetables consumption was associated with 18% reduced risk of mortality. There is scientific evidence that increasing consumption of fruit and (non-starchy) vegetables probably protects against cardiovascular diseases (including hypertension, coronary heart disease and stroke) and a number of aerodigestive cancers (such as oral cancer and colorectal cancer), as well as possibly reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes and adiposity.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends adults to consume at least 400 grams (g) of fruit and vegetables each day, excluding potatoes, sweet potatoes and other starchy roots, as part of a healthy diet. This equals 5 or more servings of fruit and vegetables and each serving weighs about 80 g. In Hong Kong, the Department of Health recommends adults and adolescents aged 12–17 to consume at least 2 servings of fruit and 3 servings of vegetables a day, which is in line with the WHO’s recommendation of at least 5 servings of fruit and vegetables a day.

However, local people consumed far less fruit and vegetables than the recommended level. The Health Behaviour Survey 2018/19 observed that persons aged 15 or above consumed an average of 1.2 servings of fruits and 1.5 servings of vegetables on the days when they ate fruit and vegetables. Overall, 95.6% persons aged 15 or above had inadequate fruit and vegetables consumption with an average of 2.4 servings of fruit and vegetables a day.

In the wake of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), adequate fruit and vegetables consumption can boost the immune system, defending the body from infections or reducing the severity of respiratory infections. In Hong Kong, various kinds of fresh fruit and vegetables are in year round availability. Members of the public are encouraged to include an array of seasoned and coloured fruit and vegetables in their daily diet in order to meet the daily goal of “2 Plus 3 Every Day”.

Below are some general tips for eating more fruit and vegetables:

• Keep fruit and vegetables around and in eye-catching areas;
• Keep fruit and vegetables around and in eye-catching areas;
• Have fruit for appetiser or dessert, such as mixed fruit salad or chopped fresh fruit (or dried fruit without added sugar) topped with low-fat yoghurt;
• Add vegetables to the majority of dishes, rice or noodles, soups or stews;
• Add vegetables to sandwiches, such as lettuce, sliced cucumbers or tomato.

For more information about “2 Plus 3 Every Day”, including healthy fruit and vegetables recipes, please visit the thematic webpage at www.chp.gov.hk/en/static/100011.html.