How many cloves of garlic is one of your five a day?

October 25, 2025 •

4 min read

While garlic is a vegetable, it is most often used as a flavouring in cooking rather than a vegetable portion itself. It typically does not contribute a full portion to your 'five a day' due to the small quantity usually consumed, but it does offer valuable health benefits.

Quick Summary

This article explores the specific guidelines for counting garlic towards your daily vegetable intake, explaining why typical culinary amounts don't make the cut. It compares portion sizes, discusses the significant health benefits of garlic, and provides practical ways to incorporate it into meals.

Key Points

Portion Size: A single portion of your 'five a day' is 80g of vegetables, which would equate to roughly 11 to 27 cloves of garlic, an impractical amount for one day.
Culinary Use: Garlic is primarily a flavouring and is not typically consumed in large enough quantities to count as a full vegetable portion.
Health Benefits: Despite its small size, garlic is highly beneficial, containing allicin, which offers antioxidant, antimicrobial, and heart-healthy properties.
Incorporating Garlic: Adding chopped or crushed garlic to soups, stir-fries, and dressings is an easy way to include its health benefits in your diet.
Moderation is Key: Excessive consumption of garlic, especially raw, can lead to side effects like stomach upset and bad breath, so sticking to 1-2 cloves per day is recommended.

What is a 'Five a Day' Portion?

To understand how many cloves of garlic is one of your five a day, it's essential to know what constitutes a standard portion of fruits and vegetables. According to nutritional guidelines, such as those from the NHS, a single portion of fresh, frozen, or tinned vegetables is 80 grams. While this seems like a straightforward metric, applying it to ingredients used for flavour, like garlic, requires a closer look.

A single clove of garlic typically weighs between 3 and 7 grams, depending on its size. To reach the 80-gram threshold for one portion, you would need to consume approximately 11 to 27 cloves in one day. For most people, this is a highly impractical and unappetizing amount to eat. While some may consume multiple cloves over the course of a day, it is rare for anyone to eat enough in one sitting to constitute a full portion.

Why Garlic is Different from Other Vegetables

Garlic is botanically a bulb, but it's used as a vegetable in cooking. Unlike spinach or broccoli, which are consumed in large quantities, garlic is primarily used for its potent flavour. This fundamental difference in usage is the main reason it doesn't typically count towards your daily intake. However, its small contribution should not be dismissed. The NHS guidelines acknowledge that smaller quantities of ingredients, like garlic, do contribute to your daily intake, even if they don't add up to a full portion on their own. The powerful antioxidants and other compounds it contains provide significant health benefits that are disproportionate to its size.

Health Benefits of Garlic Beyond 'Five a Day'

Garlic's value extends far beyond its ability to contribute to a 'five a day' tally. It is a nutritional powerhouse, celebrated for its medicinal properties for centuries. Its primary active compound, allicin, is released when garlic is crushed, chopped, or chewed, and it provides a range of health-boosting effects.

Heart Health: Studies have shown that garlic can help lower blood pressure and reduce LDL, or 'bad,' cholesterol, while increasing HDL, or 'good,' cholesterol. It aids in relaxing blood vessels and maintaining smooth blood flow, which can lower the risk of heart disease.

Immune System Boost: Regular consumption of garlic has been linked to a stronger immune system. Its natural antimicrobial and antiviral properties can help the body fight off colds, flu, and other infections, and studies suggest it can reduce the frequency and severity of sickness.

Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Properties: Garlic is rich in antioxidants that protect cells from damage caused by free radicals. This can help reduce inflammation and lower the risk of various conditions, including neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.

Gut Health: Acting as a prebiotic, garlic promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut, which is crucial for digestion, immunity, and even mental health.

Ways to incorporate garlic into your daily diet:

Add it to meals: Finely chop or mince garlic and add it to soups, stews, stir-fries, and sauces.
Create healthy dips: Mix crushed garlic with Greek yogurt or hummus for a flavourful and nutritious dip.
Make infused oil: Infuse oil with garlic to add a subtle flavour to dressings and marinades.
Roast it: Roast whole bulbs of garlic until the cloves are soft and spread them on toasted bread or mix into mashed potatoes.
Eat it raw: For maximum allicin benefits, crush or chop garlic and let it sit for 10 minutes before eating it raw, mixed into a salad dressing, or swallowed whole.

Can you eat too many cloves of garlic?

While garlic offers numerous health benefits, moderation is key. Eating excessive amounts, particularly raw, can cause adverse effects, including heartburn, upset stomach, and bad breath. Experts generally recommend consuming one to two raw cloves per day to maximize health benefits without discomfort. For those on blood-thinning medication, it's particularly important to consult a healthcare provider, as high doses of garlic can increase the risk of bleeding.

The Takeaway

Ultimately, the number of cloves of garlic that count as one of your five a day is far more than anyone would realistically consume. However, that doesn't diminish its value as a flavourful and health-enhancing ingredient. Instead of focusing on it as a single portion, consider garlic as a powerful nutritional supplement that enhances your other 'five a day' vegetables. By incorporating it thoughtfully into your cooking, you can reap its potent health benefits while enjoying its delicious flavour.

Comparison Table: Garlic vs. A Standard 'Five a Day' Portion


Feature	Garlic Clove (Typical Serving)	Standard 'Five a Day' Portion
Portion Weight	~3-7 grams	80 grams
Primary Use	Flavouring, spice	Bulk vegetable for nutrition
Contribution to 5-a-day	Minimal due to small quantity	Counts as one full portion
Key Benefits	Allicin, antioxidants, heart health, immune support	Bulk vitamins, minerals, fibre
Intake Method	Cooked or raw, in small amounts	Eaten in larger servings

Conclusion

While the concept of counting cloves of garlic as one of your five a day portions is theoretically possible, it's not practical due to the volume required. A single 80-gram portion of vegetables is far larger than a typical serving of garlic. However, this fact should not discourage you from including this flavourful ingredient in your diet. Garlic is packed with potent health benefits that support heart health, boost the immune system, and fight inflammation, making it a valuable nutritional addition regardless of its 'five a day' status. The best approach is to enjoy garlic in moderation as a flavour enhancer while focusing on other fruits and vegetables to meet your daily portion goals.

Authority Outbound Link: Learn more about the UK's 'Five a day' guidelines on the NHS website.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, garlic is botanically a vegetable and can count towards your 'five a day'. However, a standard portion is 80g, and the typical small amount used for flavouring is not enough to constitute a full portion.

A standard 80g portion would require consuming approximately 11 to 27 cloves of garlic, depending on their size, which is far more than is typically used in cooking.

While small amounts of garlic add nutritional value to your meals, they don't count as a full portion on their own. Instead, it's best to consider garlic a nutritional bonus rather than a primary contributor to your daily count.

Garlic offers several health benefits, including boosting the immune system, supporting heart health by potentially lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, and acting as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant.

Eating raw garlic is often recommended for maximizing the benefits of allicin, its main active compound, which is sensitive to heat. To get the most from cooked garlic, crush it and let it rest for 10 minutes before heating.

Yes, overconsuming garlic can cause digestive issues like heartburn, bloating, and stomach upset. It can also lead to strong body odour and breath.

Garlic supplements are an alternative, but it's important to consult a healthcare provider before taking them, especially if you have underlying health conditions or are on medication. Different forms of garlic can also have varying levels of bioactive compounds.