Making sure you eat at least five daily servings of vegetables and fruit may be a whole lot easier than you thought! Did you know that the 5-a-Day for Better Health TRUST criteria include frozen vegetables as part of your 5-a-Day?

McCain Young & Tender is the first brand in South Africa to meet the TRUST’s stringent standards, as set out by the 5-a-Day for Better Health TRUST criteria, and provides consumers with a wide range of top quality, frozen vegetables to include in their 5-a-day diet.

The TRUST aims to improve the health of all South Africans through the increased consumption of vegetables and fruit shown to have a significant preventative role in the onset of numerous diseases. Frozen vegetables rate particularly highly on the 5-a-Day scorecard, as these products are processed in such a way that most of the nutrient content is preserved and so their nutritional contribution is as good as fresh.

“Consider that the nutrient content of vegetables starts diminishing soon after harvesting. The longer the vegetables remain in the store or home kitchen, the less nutritious they become,” says Jane Badham, dietitian and CEO of the 5-a-Day for Better Health TRUST. In the case of frozen vegetables, only a small amount of nutrients are lost in the short time between harvesting and freezing. If temperatures are controlled correctly, there is no further nutrient loss after freezing.

“The good news is that research shows that frozen vegetables, which are quick, easy and convenient and offer you year-round availability, are comparable to their fresh, from-the-supermarket counterparts,” Badham adds.

McCain Young & Tender frozen vegetables are manufactured according to the highest international standards and, in meeting the TRUST’s strict criteria, bear the 5-a-Day logo to give you the assurance that they can be part of your 5-a-Day way of eating.

“The World Health Organisation (WHO) has identified low vegetable and fruit intake as one of the top 10 risk factors contributing to mortality. Research shows that vegetable and fruit consumption is very low in sub-Saharan Africa: 27-114kg/capita per year, far below the WHO/FAO recommendation of 146kg/capita per year,” says Helen de Chalain, McCain Marketing Director. “It’s estimated that 2.7 million lives could potentially be saved annually if vegetable and fruit consumption was sufficiently increased, not to mention the benefits of preventing many major chronic diseases.”

“Most of us have always known that vegetables are good, but many of us just haven’t eaten them much,” Badham notes. “We need to change in order to ensure our good health and that of our families. Now it is even easier, as McCain Young & Tender has a range of top quality, quick, frozen fresh vegetables in the supermarket freezer – just take a look! Eating vegetables and keeping healthy has never been easier. Excellent news indeed.”

Aside from frozen vegetables, the TRUST’s criteria have been extended to include fresh or 100% pure unsweetened fruit and vegetable juices and canned and dried vegetables and fruit, provided they meet the TRUST’s strict criteria, which ensure any product carrying the 5-a-Day logo meets the overall guidelines for healthy eating.

“We are thrilled to have McCain as a partner in our efforts to make vegetables and fruit a dietary must,” adds Badham. “We look forward to working with McCain in facilitating increased vegetable and fruit consumption among all South Africans and thereby building a healthy nation.”