The World Health Organization advice1, which recommends eating a minimum of 400g – which equates to five portions of fruit and vegetables a day and can help reduce the risk of serious health problems, such as heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancer, seems to be top of mind for consumers. A study commissioned by snacks and superfoods brand Nature’s Heart, has revealed that 75% of the UK population believes that getting their 5 A Day is important2, and it gets as much attention from consumers as low sugar and low calories when it comes to choosing healthy snacks.
When asked about following a specific diet, 5 A Day stood out as the advice most people will be likely to try (45%) followed by a low fat (27%), low calorie (27%), gut health (26%) and low sugar diet (24%). Despite this commitment, data from the NDNS (National Diet and Nutrition Survey) shows that 67% of adults, aged 19-64, are still not meeting their recommended 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day.3
87% of those surveyed by Nature’s Heart , Nestlé's specialist snack brand, reported that they snack every day. The research found that consumers are more likely to opt for high calorie, less healthy snacks, with a high percentage reporting they have eaten chocolate (63%), crisps (57%), and cakes (45%) in the past week. Combined with this, more than half (57.5%) of consumers are replacing meals with snacks at least once a week. If these snacks don’t incorporate fruit and veg, it can become increasingly challenging to achieve the 5 A Day recommendation.
When asked why they struggle to get their 5 A Day, the answers were varied:
- 34.3% said it takes too much time and effort
- 23.9% said there aren’t many on-the-go, convenient 1 of 5 a Day options
- 16.3% said some 1 of 5 A Day options contain too much sugar
The survey was conducted amongst 1,000 people across Great Britain in December 2022.
Tom Benton, General Manager of Nature’s Heart, said: “It is shocking that only one third of the UK are getting their 5 A Day. The advice from the WHO is clear, we need to be helping the UK eat more fruit and vegetables. That’s why we created Crunch, a mix of beans, seeds and pulses that tastes just as good as crisps but are also high in protein and high in fibre.”
In a bid to raise awareness about the importance of achieving your 5 A Day, eight larger-than-life mascots representing beans and vegetables that are found in Nature’s Heart Crunch, descended on the heart of London this weekend, spreading the message about the power of getting your 5 A Day.
Each bag of Nature’s Heart Crunch is 1 of your 5 A Day, high in protein and high in fibre, designed to be a delicious swap for crisps. Crunch is seasoned in six of the UK’s favourite flavours: Salt & Vinegar, Salt & Pepper, Sour Cream & Chive, Sweet Chilli, Chilli & Lemon, and Smoky BBQ.
The fun didn’t stop there! Over the weekend, these colossal veggie mascots made their way to iconic locations across central London, engaging the public in exciting games like limbo and tug of war.
It was a chance for everyone to join in the fun while learning about the importance of incorporating their 5 A Day into their daily routine.
Benton added: “Our new mascots are about showcasing the importance of 5 a day and eating a balanced diet, and we want to show the world that getting your 5 A Day can be easy and tasty.”
Sources
1 EMROPUB_2019_en_23536.pdf (who.int)
2 19.8% think neither unimportant nor important, and 5.2% think unimportant
3 National Diet and Nutrition Survey, Public Health England, December 2020, NDNS: results from years 9 to 11 (combined) – statistical summary - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
4 Nature’s Heart survey carried out on Attest December 2022 - 1000 participants.
Notes to editors
For more inspiration, visit the Nature’s Heart website: www.naturesheart.co.uk
Nature’s Heart Crunch is available nationwide in Waitrose, WH Smiths, Ocado and on Amazon.