Shiny Apple - © millikanmiddleschool.org

Fruit And Veg Consumption Down In Spite Of Benefits

A new survey reveals that Canadians (and by association, Americans) have decreased their consumption of Fruits and Veggies over the past decade while increasing their intake of Meat and alternatives. That’s bad news in light of other recent reports that suggest we should be eating more Produce…

Vegetarian Feast - © isha.sadhguru orgOur consumption – as a nation – of fresh Fruits and Veggies has dropped
significantly over the past decade. And that’s troubling
news for dietary and nutrition experts…

Remember the old saying your mother taught you: ‘An Apple a day keeps the doctor away’? Recent dietary and nutrition studies have proven it more true than ever, citing the increased consumption of Fruits and Veggies to a whole host of physical and emotional health benefits. Just site-search ‘fruit’ on this blog for posts on a number of the more important findings. But a new survey from the University of British Columbia (UBC) suggests that our eating habits, especially with regard to Produce, are declining rather than improving.

What they did…

Researchers compared dietary survey results for 50,000 Canadians aged 2 and older, taken in 2004 and again in 2015, to determine what changes if any had taken place over that decade.

What they found…

Chief among their discoveries was that Fruit and Veggie consumption appeared to have declined significantly, while consumption of Meat and Meat alternatives increased. The decline in Produce consumption was centered mainly on Veggies, Potatoes and Fruit Juices.

On the up side, Canadians increased their intake of Dark Green and Orange Vegetables, Eggs, Legumes, Nuts and Seeds over the survey period – all of which have recently been shown to have important health benefits. As well, consumption of excess Sugar, primarily in sweetened beverages, was down notably. For example, Canadian adolescents (aged 13 to 17) reported consuming, on average, 73 fewer daily calories from sugary beverages—a 43-per-cent decrease from 2004.

On the down side, average daily consumption of other healthful foods such as Whole Fruit, Whole Grains, Fish and Shellfish was ‘stagnant’.

The takeaway…

“Poor diet quality is the number one contributor to the burden of chronic diseases in Canada,” said Dr. Claire Tugault-Lafleur, a postdoctoral fellow in UBC’s Food, Nutrition and Health Program and Lead Author of the survey report. “It’s essential to look at what foods people are eating and whether food group intakes have changed over time to identify challenges and opportunities to promote healthier eating patterns among Canadians.”

Her bottom line is, more effective efforts are needed to address barriers to healthier diets among Canadians.

My take…

I heartily concur!

But it will take more than suggestions from the scientifi8c and clinical community to get people to eat more of what’s good for them.

Which food groups declined in consumption over the survey period? Those which increased significantly in price over the survey period, Produce notably among them. And, while study after study tells us to eat more Fish and Seafood, high and still-rising prices for those foods mitigate increasingly against their adoption as regular components of our daily diets.

Either we find ways to bring down the cost of the healthiest foods in our dietary pantheon, or our health as a nation – a culture – will continue to decline. And that’s a very bad thing, indeed!

~ Maggie J.