Basing our diets on plant foods (like vegetables, fruits, wholegrains, and pulses such as beans), which contain fibre and other nutrients, can reduce our risk of cancer.

For good health, WCRF UK recommends basing all meals on plant foods. When preparing a meal, aim to fill at least two thirds of your plate with plant foods like vegetables, rice, pasta, lentils and cereals. Aim to eat these types of foods with every meal and opt for wholegrain options whenever possible.

If you want to get some inspiration for this kind of food, then we have lots of recipe suggestions for healthy food that tastes great.

These foods contain plenty of fibre and water and tend to be lower in energy density which means they can help us maintain a healthy weight. However, they can quickly become high in calories if we add lots of fat to them, so watch out for rich, creamy sauces that contain lots of calories.

Plant foods – the scientific evidence

Research shows that vegetables and fruits probably protect against a range of cancers, including

• mouth, pharynx and larynx
• oesophagus
• stomach
• lung
• pancreas
• prostate

Foods containing dietary fibre probably decrease the risk of bowel cancer. These foods include wholegrain bread and pasta, oats, and vegetables and fruits.

There are lots of reasons why vegetables and fruits may protect against cancer. As well as containing vitamins and minerals, which help keep the body healthy and strengthen our immune system, they are also good sources of substances like phytochemicals.

These are biologically active compounds that can help to protect cells in the body from damage that can lead to cancer.

Foods containing fibre are also linked to a reduced risk of cancer. Fibre is thought to have many benefits, including helping to speed up ‘gut transit time’ - how long it takes food to move through the digestive system.

At least 5 A DAY, every day

We should aim to eat least five portions of vegetables and fruits every day. They are high in nutrients like vitamins and minerals. Most are also low in calories and are good sources of fibre, so they are filling and can help us avoid weight gain.

What is a portion?

Almost all vegetables and fruits count, apart from starchy tubers and roots like potatoes, yam, sweet potatoes and cassava. You can even use frozen, dried and canned vegetables and fruits. The more variety the better. As a rough guide, a portion is:

• Three heaped tablespoons of cooked vegetables like broccoli or carrots
• A small cereal bowl of salad vegetables like lettuce or spinach
• A medium-sized piece of fruit like an apple or a banana
• A slice of large fruit like melon
• A handful of smaller fruit like grapes
• A tablespoon of dried fruit like raisins
• Two small fruit like satsumas or plums
• A small glass (150ml) of pure fruit juice – but fruit juice only counts as one portion a day, no matter how much you drink