Fruit, vegetables and whole grains deliver important health benefits. The Department of Health recommends that we eat five 80g portions of fruit and vegetables every day. This is based on advice from the World Health Organization, which recommends eating a minimum of 400g of fruit and vegetables a day to lower the risk of serious health problems, such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and obesity.

There is evidence to suggest that regular consumption of whole grain cereals may have a role in the prevention of chronic diseases including coronary heart disease, diabetes and colorectal cancer. People who consume diets rich in whole grains seem to have a lower incidence of these chronic diseases, although the exact mechanisms through which these benefits occur are not clear.

Inclusion of fruit, vegetables and whole grains to individual foods, meals or dishes would help to encourage their consumption. IGD has therefore produced guidance to help food businesses who want to add whole grains or fruit and vegetables to their products:

• The best practice guide to calculating and communicating fruit and vegetable portions in composite foods (2011)
• INSG working group report on development of a best practice guide to calculating and communicating fruit and vegetable portions in composite foods (2011)
• Guidance Note on Whole Grains (2007)

You can download each of these reports free of charge below.

More about IGD and wholegrains
More about fruit and vegetables in our diet