The CSIRO says four out of five Australian adults are not eating enough fruit and vegetables.

CSIRO’s new Fruit, Vegetables and Diet Score Report (available here in PDF form) found 51 per cent of adults are not eating the recommended intake of fruit, while two out of three adults (66 per cent) are not eating enough vegetables.

The experts say it should be a message that most Australians are not as healthy as they think, and need to eat higher quantities and a greater variety of fruit and vegetables every day to meet the minimum Australian benchmark.

“Many Aussies believe themselves to be healthy, yet this report shows the majority of those surveyed are not getting all the beneficial nutrients from fruit and vegetables needed for a healthy, balanced diet,” said Professor Manny Noakes, CSIRO Research Director and co-author of the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet.

“For a country with an abundance of high-quality, locally-grown fruit and vegetables available all year round, it’s disappointing so many Australians are missing out and not enjoying enough variety in their diets,” said John Lloyd, CEO Horticulture Innovation Australia.

The research found that a focus on variety could be the solution to boosting consumption.

“One simple way to boost your intake is to eat three different types of vegetables with your main evening meal,” said Professor Noakes.

“Australian growers are adapting to the consumer's need for convenience by bringing high-quality fresh produce from the farm to the table in ready-to-cook and eat packaging, making it easier for time-poor adults to add more nutritious fruit and vegetables into their diets,” added Lloyd. 

CSIRO used data from people across Australia, in all occupations and weight ranges, to develop a comprehensive picture of the country’s fruit and vegetable consumption.

Women reported slightly better fruit and vegetable consumption with 24 per cent meeting both guidelines, compared with only 15 per cent of men surveyed.

When comparing the figures by occupation, construction workers and those in the science and programming sector recorded the poorest fruit and vegetable eating habits. On the other hand, retirees and health industry workers were more likely to meet the recommended dietary guidelines.

The report also found that the CSIRO Healthy Diet Score (which measures overall diet quality on a scale of zero to 100) is positively correlated with fruit and vegetable intake. In other words, adults who ate more fruit and vegetables also have the highest diet scores.

“Increasing the amount of fruit and vegetables we eat is one of the simplest ways Australians can improve their health and wellbeing today as well as combat the growing rates of obesity and lifestyle diseases such as heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and a third of all cancers,” Professor Noakes explained.

“Diets high in fruit and vegetables have been shown to improve psychological and physical markers of wellbeing. In particular, phytochemicals from fruit and vegetables reduce systemic inflammation which can lead to chronic disease.”

To take the free CSIRO Healthy Diet Score, visit www.csirodietscore.com