UK fruit and veg consumption remains flat

The consumption of fruit and veg among adults has remained flat with a third of over 16s reaching the recommended target of five-a-day in the last recorded year. 

New data from the Office of Health Improvements and Disparities (OHID) show that, during 2023-24, 31.3 per cent of adults reported eating the recommended five portions of fruit and veg a day, a marginal increase from 31 per cent in 2022-23.

There is also a widening inequality in who is reaching the recommended produce intake, with 22 per cent of adults in the most deprived areas meeting the benchmark, compared to 39 per cent in the least deprived areas. 

Fruit and veg voucher charity Alexandra Rose said the figures paint “a stark picture of inequality in access to healthy food”. 

“For yet another year, the Government’s own data shows little progress in people eating more fruit and veg. For families on low incomes, eating ‘5-a-day’ now costs an extra 46p per person per day, a price many simply cannot afford,” said the charity’s chief executive, Jonathan Pauling. “Improving access and affordability of fruit and veg for those on the lowest incomes must be a key focus of the Government’s Food Strategy.”

The five-a-day advice and fruit and veg campaign has been in place for over 20 years, having been officially introduced in 2003 as an attempt to reduce diet-related disease in the population, and while penetration of the slogan is high, its success at increasing consumption has been slow. 

The OHID figures look at 14 key indicators of health in the population, with a range of sub-categories below each indicator. Fruit and veg intake comes under the ‘health improvement’ indicator, which also includes percentage of physically active adults, and ratings for dental decay, sickness absence, obesity and happiness.

According to the latest figures, the percentage of overweight and obese adults in the UK has ‘significantly’ risen to 64.5 per cent in the last year.