We don’t eat enough vegetables and fruits

By: STA Date: 2024. 04. 24. 09:00

Based on the latest data provided by Freshfel Europe, Hungary is at the bottom of the middle range of the European Union’s fresh market fruit and vegetable consumption ranking. During the year 2022, a significant drop in this regard was observed, which was the largest among the EU member states.

(Photo: Pixabay)

This decline was not only characteristic of Hungary, but also extended to the entire European Union, for which there were many reasons, including the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, as well as the rise in inflation and energy prices.

According to the data, the decrease in the average daily fruit and vegetable intake of European citizens was 5.12%, which can be said to be very significant

Hungary is at the top of the bottom third of the EU ranking in terms of the decrease in consumption, and in 2022 a nearly 10% decline was experienced in this area. Although other countries such as Portugal, Romania or Spain experienced an even greater decline, there were also countries such as Italy or Lithuania where the opposite trend was observed and consumption increased, despite being in a difficult economic environment.

In the European Union, it can generally be said that the daily consumption level of fresh vegetables and fruits is still below the value recommended by the WHO, currently only 350 g/person/day on average.

This trend can be a serious warning about the lack of healthy nutrition and the increasing risk of obesity and other chronic diseases in the European Union. Encouraging and supporting the consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits can therefore be key to developing healthier and more sustainable eating habits.

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