Brits lagging in fruit & veg consumption

Brits are near the bottom of the class when it comes to eating fruit and veg, ranking 14th out of 19 in a review of eating habits across the EU.

On average, Brits eat 258g of fruit and veg a day, compared with a European average of 386g, according to a review by the European Food Information Council.

Overall, just four European countries achieved the World Health Organisation’s recommended minimum intake of 400g of fruit and veg per day: Poland (577g), Italy (452g), Germany (442g) and Austria (413g).

“Fruit and vegetables are important elements of a healthy diet, but a majority of Europeans do not reach WHO recommendations on consumption,” EUFIC said.

It added there were regional variations to fruit and vegetable consumption, with Northern European countries typically consuming less veg than Southern countries.

EUFIC’s findings are in line with previous reports comparing fruit and veg consumption in Europe - research by fruit industry organisation Freshfel also found that most EU countries did not meet WHO recommendations.