One in three families cannot afford to eat enough fruit and vegetables

Vegetables should be a big part of our diet, but a new international survey shows that eating habits are far from the recommendations of the Food Standards Agency (FSA). Despite the fact that 75 percent are aware of the recommended daily intake of fruit and vegetables, only 18 percent manage to eat according to them. Among Brits with children, one in three said they simply cannot afford to enough fruit and vegetables.

According to the FSA, we should eat 400 grams, or about five servings, of fruit and vegetables per day. But 30 percent of the parents inquired in a recent survey say they cannot afford to buy the amount of vegetables recommended. And these economic limitations have further implications. In the international survey, 75 percent of those who eat according to the recommendations also give their children fruit and vegetables every day, while only 38 percent of those who never eat according to the guidelines do the same. These are some insights gathered from a new extensive survey conducted by Kantar on behalf of the salad company Picadeli. It was carried out in seven countries across Europe and the United States and inquired over 10,000 people to examine how eating habits affect their health and life quality.

Four in ten skip vegetables completely on regular basis

Despite the fact that 75 percent are aware of the recommended daily intake of fruit and vegetables, only 18 percent manage to eat according to them. A few times a week, four in ten would not eat any fruit or vegetables at all during a day. 31 percent said that the cost prevents them from reaching the recommended level of fruit and vegetables. Other reasons why not eating according to the recommendations from FSA is that they lack inspiration of vegetable-based recipes (33 percent). Contrary to popular belief, taste is not the reason for not consuming vegetables. Only 13 percent said the reason they do not to eat vegetables and fruit is they do not like the taste of it.

- We are on a mission to democratize healthy food by making it more accessible, affordable and appetizing. That is why it saddens me that so many families cannot afford to eat according to guidelines. We as a society need to prioritize children’s health. Healthy food should not be privilege, it should be every human beings’ right, says David von Laskowski, Group CEO at Picadeli.

More than eight out of ten, 82 percent, are unable to eat according to the dietary guidelines. 32 percent experience that it is difficult or quite difficult to eat 400 grams of vegetables a day. The price is the biggest single factor that could make people eat more vegetables. One in three (38 percent) said that if it was cheaper, they would eat more vegetables. Many would also like to increase their knowledge of how to eat more greens – 24 percent said that they would consume more vegetables if they knew more inspiring dishes.

- What and how much we eat is one of, if not the most, important factor when it comes to our health. Eating food with good nutrients such as vegetables has an obvious correlation to staying healthy and avoiding many common lifestyle diseases. We need to make it easier for people to choose vegetables in their daily lives by removing barriers and offer vegetables in new ways and on new occasions, says Fredrik H Nystrom, professor of internal medicine, Linköping University, Sweden.

More insights can be found in the Vegocracy report – link via "Read me!" below.