foodie-question: Should a baby really be consuming 5 a day or is that a government concocted myth?

Hi there,
Thanks for the question.  Babies are not expected to consume 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day as they will be getting lots of nutrients from breastmilk or formula.  The introduction of early solid foods just complements what they are getting from their milk and helps children to develop eating skills.  Once babies are fully weaned, try to offer fruit and vegetables to them each day.  A portion is the same size as a child’s palm, so a portion of peas – for example – would really only just be a few.

Toddlers/pre-schoolers should try to have 5 potions a day, but these need to be age appropriate, so palm sized.
We hope this helps,
Emma and Jill
Dr Emma Haycraft is a senior member of the the child feeding research team and a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Loughborough University she is a co-creator of the Child Feeding Guide
Jill Wheatcroft is a Lecturer in Child Health and is co-founder and Director of Training at Riverside Cares. She can be contacted at info@riversidecares.co.uk
http://www.riversidecares.co.uk