88% of Brits 'do not eat enough fruit and veg'

The vast majority of people in Britain are not getting the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables that the government recommends the nation should consume, it has been found.

A study carried out by research firm TNS discovered that on average, people in the UK eat only 2.5 portions of fruit and veg a day, compared to the recommended five portions.

Some 12 per cent said they eat no fruit and veg at all, while only the same percentage said they manage to consume their full five portions.

Giles Quick, managing director of TNS, said: "While the need for five a day seems to be common knowledge, the number of us who actually achieve this is shockingly low."

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was found that the more affluent and the over-45s were most likely to meet the fruit and veg targets, while children and the less well-off mostly ate less than they should.

However, in more positive news, the research also found that the number of young people cooking from scratch has risen, as has the number of sit-down meals that families share.

In related news, consumer psychologist Dr Catherine Jansson-Boyd recently reported that more people are now purchasing own-brand foods as food prices rise and force them to tighten their purse-strings.