A collaborative team from Bournemouth University, led by nutrition expert Professor Heather Hartwell, are hoping to change eating habits, by encouraging healthier eating and championing vegetable consumption through a Europe-wide research project called VeggiEAT. From an early age, children are taught about the importance of eating fruit and vegetables, but a quick glance at most nutrition-based news stories will paint a very different picture, a rise of junk food, fast-food consumption and obesity. Adequate vegetable consumption is fundamental to a healthy balanced diet, however EU compliance with dietary guidelines is poor and there is a notable lack of research in this area.
Professor Hartwell (pictured) confirms that we don’t eat the recommended 5 portions per day. She told NutritionInsight: “The majority of Europeans do not meet the WHO recommendations of 400g per day with Denmark (316g) and UK (258g) having one of the lowest fruit and vegetable intakes respectively in Europe, and children over 5 years of age having particularly poor levels whereas the French population achieve 342g. This is despite EU policy efforts focused on increasing consumption at the population level across the lifespan.”
