Juices, smoothies and 5 A DAY

Fruit and vegetable juices and smoothies contain a variety of vitamins that are good for our health. A small glass of fruit juice counts as one of your recommended five daily portions of fruit and vegetables.

But a glass of juice should only ever be one of your portions of 5 A DAY because it doesn't contain the fibre found in whole fruits and vegetables. Have other types of fruit and vegetables for the other four (or more) portions.

Fruit juice also contains sugar that can damage teeth. It's best to drink it with a meal because this can help protect teeth. The sugars found naturally in whole fruit are less likely to cause tooth decay because the sugar is contained within the structure of the fruit.

When fruit is juiced or blended, the sugars are released. Once released, these sugars can damage teeth, especially if you drink juice frequently. Even unsweetened fruit juice is sugary, so keep an eye on the amount of fruit juice and smoothies you consume.

The government's current advice is to limit consumption of fruit/vegetable juices and smoothies to a combined total of 150ml a day.

Source:nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/water-drinks.aspx