Italians far from the ideal consumption of fruit and vegetables. And the South does worse

Fruits and vegetables they protect health and, according to WHO guidelines, should be consumed in at least 5 portions a day. An objective that is achieved by just 7% of Italians and surprisingly, the one who does worse is the Sud where there is greater availability of products at lower prices. To counteract this trend and integrate the lack of the right quantities of fruit and vegetables in the daily diet of Italians, the plant-based products according to recent surveys conducted by the Plant-Based Products Group of Italian food union.

The majority of Italians aged between 18 and 69, exactly 52%, consume only 1-2 portions of fruit and vegetables a day, 38% approximately 3-4 portions, 3% consume none at all and only 7% reach the 5 portions recommended by the WHO. An objective that is achieved in particular with advancing age and concerns above all women and people with greater economic availability and a higher level of education. Among the regions that go above the national average, there are Liguria, Piedmont, Veneto, Sardinia, the province of Trento and Basilicata. Below the average we find Calabria, Campania, Puglia and Molise.

“A health-protective diet is based on foods of plant origin such as vegetables, legumes, cereals and wholegrain derivatives, fresh fruit, nuts, oil seeds and vegetable oils”, he explains Lucilla Looknutritional biologist and researcher at theEuropean Institute of Oncology (IEO) in Milan. Several studies, he adds Giorgio Doneganifood technologist and expert in nutrition and food education “have shown that if the Italian population ate on average 5 portions a day, three of vegetables and two of fruit, or vice versa, the number of tumors would decrease considerably, just as the problems of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases”.

In fact, according to the WHO, adequate consumption of fruit and vegetables would change the world map of cardiovascular diseases. It is even estimated that with 600 grams of fruit and vegetables a day, over 135 thousand deaths, 1/3 of coronary heart diseases and 11% of strokes would be avoided. Wrongly however, continues Donegani, “fruit is often considered an accessory food in addition to the main courses, with the result that it appears in the diet about ten times a week, and the same happens with vegetables, consumed just over half of what it would be necessary”.

Fruit and vegetables should also be consumed in the right color mix because as the nutrition expert concludes, “the different color of fruits and vegetables is associated with the presence of different protective factors. The red of tomatoes, for example, is linked to their content of lycopene, an antioxidant pigment, capable of reducing the risk of some types of cancer; the orange of carrots, melon and apricots is due to the presence of beta-carotene which our body transforms into vitamin A; and again, the green of the vegetables signals a high presence of vitamin C and magnesium, precious for health, while the blue/purple of blueberries, grapes and plums is determined by their richness in anthocyanins which strengthen and make the walls of the capillaries more elastic , improving blood circulation and helping in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.”

When daily rhythms do not allow you to consume fresh fruit and vegetables every day, it is still possible to integrate them easily through the use of the wide range of plant-based products, which are becoming increasingly widespread and which are now offered in many product categories, from drinks to burgers, from spoonful products with lactic ferments to ice creams, desserts, sauces and condiments. From the latest investigations conducted by the Unionfood plant-based products group, it emerged that 4 out of 5 consumers buy plant-based foods precisely because they consider them healthy, while for 7 out of 10 their good taste is also a determining factor in their choice.