Vegatable consumption has hit a 50-year low in Britain as people turn to ready meals, crisps and chocolate, a report warns.
The average person consumes 1kg of fresh and processed vegetables, excluding potatoes, each week, according to an annual family food survey.
This is a decline of about 12 per cent since 1974, when the survey began and when the weekly intake was 1.2kg.
Back then, Brits ate lots of cabbage, brussels sprouts, cauliflower and peas. But now, we are eating more courgettes, cucumbers and mushrooms than at any other point.
The data, published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, has triggered alarm among campaigners, chefs and nutritionists.
British chef Jamie Oliver warned Britain is ‘not eating enough of the good stuff’.
‘I’ve always said the further away we are from the mud and soil, the sicker we are,’ he told the Sunday Times.
‘We need to make sure our next generation of kids are in the soil, growing, learning about where their food comes from and packing their plates full of delicious, nutritious veg-fuelled food.’
A recent study, published in The Lancet, warned that ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are a leading cause of the ‘chronic disease pandemic’ linked to diet (file image)
He argued that the longstanding five-a-day target is outdated, adding that seven to 10 portions of fruit and vegetables is needed to see a ‘real improvement’ in diet-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers.
A recent study, published in The Lancet, warned that ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are a leading cause of the ‘chronic disease pandemic’ linked to diet.
A total of 43 scientists and researchers joined forces to argue that UPFs are ‘displacing’ fresh foods and meals, worsening diet quality, and are linked to multiple chronic diseases.
Examples of UPFs include ice cream, processed meats, crisps, mass-produced bread, some breakfast cereals, biscuits, many ready meals and fizzy drinks.
UPFs often contain high levels of saturated fat, salt, sugar and additives, which experts say leaves less room in people’s diets for more nutritious foods.
The family food survey data shows that compared to 1974, the average Brit now consumes 200 per cent more crisps, 430 per cent more ice cream and 177 per cent more pizza.
‘The dramatic fall in traditional British vegetables like peas, beans, sprouts and swede suggests a shift away from the basics of home cooking,’ Nichola Ludlam-Raine said.
‘Ready meals, crisps, chocolate bars and ice-cream have become far more accessible, aggressively marketed and … engineered to be highly palatable.’
WHAT SHOULD A BALANCED DIET LOOK LIKE?
Meals should be based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally wholegrain, according to the NHS
• Eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. All fresh, frozen, dried and canned fruit and vegetables count
• Base meals on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally wholegrain
• 30 grams of fibre a day: This is the same as eating all of the following: 5 portions of fruit and vegetables, 2 whole-wheat cereal biscuits, 2 thick slices of wholemeal bread and large baked potato with the skin on
• Have some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soya drinks) choosing lower fat and lower sugar options
• Eat some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including 2 portions of fish every week, one of which should be oily)
• Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and consuming in small amounts
• Drink 6-8 cups/glasses of water a day
• Adults should have less than 6g of salt and 20g of saturated fat for women or 30g for men a day
Source: NHS Eatwell Guide
