80% Of Adults Do Not Eat Enough Fruits And Vegetables

Author: Maryam Ayres Time for reading: ~2 minutes Last Updated: August 08, 2022

80% Of Adults Do Not Eat Enough Fruits And Vegetables

Survey shows that over 80% of adults have no idea what the daily recommended minimum of fruits and vegetables in their menu

From the children's song about vegetables, through the tireless talk of food experts about the need to consume live food, to the tempting vegetarian recipes of culinary bloggers - the topic of the constant presence of fresh fruits and vegetables in the daily menu is always relevant.

Against the background of this abundance of information, as early as 2003, British food experts launched a campaign based on a recommendation from the World Health Organization (WHO), which promotes the consumption of fruits and vegetables five times a day. In other words, one should eat about 400 grams of vegetables and 300 grams of fruit a day, divided into five portions.

Even then, the team in the UK found that the majority of adults in the study were not sure how many servings of fruits and vegetables should be consumed, and today - 16 years later, the same team published a new report, according to which only 31% of people between the ages of 19 and 64 consume their five servings of live food a day.

Data from the Health and Nutritional Supplements Report - (HSIS) State of the Nation: Dietary Trends in the UK - 20 Years on, also show that 86% of people do not know how much fruit and vegetables should be on their daily menu, only one in three adults receives the recommended level of vitamins and minerals from the food they normally consume. For adolescents between the ages of 11 and 18, the percentage in this regard is only 8, the researchers added.

Dr. Emma Derbyshire, a nutritionist and co-author of the study, said the results were "a real cause for concern." "Low intake of all these nutrients impairs brain function and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, bone problems and affects life expectancy," warns Dr. Derbyshire.

According to Robert Picard, a professor of neurobiology at Cardiff University and co-author of the study, low daily consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables poses the highest risk for older people, who find it harder for the body to extract nutrients from food.
According to a study cited by the Independent , the intake of many vitamins and minerals has been steadily declining over the past 20 years.

For example, the intake of vitamin A decreased by 21% and vitamin D - by 22%. People take 10 percent less calcium, and potassium intake has dropped 4 percent. Consumption of both oily fish and otherwise popular fiber is also low.

On the European table

Bulgarians are usually ranked last in the EU in terms of fruit and vegetable consumption - only 4% of our compatriots manage to get the daily dose of live food in their menu. According to Eurostat, less than 15% are Europeans who consume the recommended portion, and people who do not eat any fruits and vegetables in the Union are about 30%.

80% Of Adults Do Not Eat Enough Fruits And Vegetables

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