Do pulses and baked beans count towards my daily fruit and veg portions?
Beans and pulses provide a range of nutrients to the diet including protein, carbohydrate, fibre and iron. There are many different varieties such as kidney, haricot, black bean, soya and butter beans, lentils and chickpeas but they will only count as a portion of fruit and vegetables once a day. A portion is 3 heaped tablespoons of cooked beans. Tinned baked beans are canned in tomato sauce and some varieties can be bought that are reduced in sugar and salt. Tomatoes are one of a few food sources of the antioxidant lycopene which is related to beta carotene. Food processing increases the availability of lycopene, so more is present in canned and pureed tomatoes than in fresh. It has been suggested that lycopene can provide protection against oxidative damage, reducing risk of cancer and coronary heart disease.
