Fruit and vegetable consumption

Definition

The 2017-18 NHS collected data on the following dietary indicators:

• Usual daily serves of vegetables
• Vegetable consumption increased or decreased since same time last year
• Usual daily serves of fruit
• Fruit consumption increased or decreased since same time last year

Population

Information was obtained for persons aged 2 years and over in the 2017-18 NHS.

Methodology

Information about dietary behaviours was published in the National Health Survey: First Results, 2017-18.

Vegetables and fruit

Respondents were asked to report the number of serves of fruit and serves of vegetables they usually ate each day. For the purposes of this survey the following definitions were used.

Definition

A serve of vegetables was defined as about 75 grams or (shown on a prompt card):

• 1/2 cup cooked green or orange vegetables (for example, broccoli, spinach, carrots or pumpkin) - including frozen or tinned
• 1/2 cup cooked dried or canned beans, peas or lentils
• 1 cup green leafy or raw salad vegetables
• 1/2 cup sweet corn - including frozen or tinned
• 1/2 medium potato or other starchy vegetables (sweet potato, taro or cassava).

All types of vegetables were included, e.g. potatoes, salads, stir-fried vegetables, as well as prepared (cooked) legumes such as kidney beans. Tomatoes were included as a vegetable rather than a fruit.. Baked beans were excluded.

A serve of fruit was defined as about 150 grams or shown on a prompt card):

• 1 medium apple, banana, orange or pear
• 2 small apricots, kiwi fruits or plums
• 1 cup of diced or canned fruit
• 30g dried fruit (for example, 4 dried apricot halves, 1 1/2 tablespoons sultanas)

All types of fruit were included, e.g. fresh, dried, frozen and tinned.

Fruit and vegetable drinks or beverages were excluded.

Prompt cards were used to assist respondents in understanding the concept of a serve (available from the Downloads tab). If respondents had difficulty in reporting, interviewers were encouraged to prompt in terms of asking respondents about their usual consumption of vegetables and fruit at breakfast, lunch and dinner, and for snacks.

Respondents were also asked whether their usual vegetable and fruit consumption had increased, decreased or stayed the same since this time last year.

Whether Vegetable and Fruit Consumption Met 2013 National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Australian Dietary Guidelines

Whether vegetable and fruit consumption met the recommended guidelines was derived for respondents aged 2 years and over according to the following numbers of servings (based on recommendations from the National Health and Medical Research Council's (NHMRC) Australian Dietary Guidelines (2013)).

	Age group (years)
Recommended serves per day	2-3	4-8	9-11	12-13	14-18	19-50	51-70	71 years and over
Fruit
nnnn Males	1	1.5	2	2	2	2	2	2
nnnn Females	1	1.5	2	2	2	2	2	2
Vegetables
nnnn Males	2.5	4.5	5	5.5	5.5	6	5.5	5
nnnn Females	2.5	4.5	5	5	5	5	5	5

Interpretation of half serves in the Australian Dietary Guidelines

Several age recommendations in the 2013 guidelines also include half servings. For example, the recommended number of servings of fruit for boys aged 4-8 years is 1 ½.. However, as the 2017-18 NHS collected usual daily serves in whole serves, in the National Health Survey: First Results, 2017-18, half serves were rounded up to the nearest whole serve for published data. For example, for a 4-8 year old boy to meet the recommended daily intake of fruit, he would need to eat 2 serves of fruit.

The data items affected by this include:

• Whether vegetable consumption met recommended guidelines (2013 NHMRC guidelines)
• Whether fruit consumption met recommended guidelines (2013 NHMRC guidelines)
• Whether fruit and vegetable consumption met recommended guidelines (2013 NHMRC guidelines).

Whether Vegetable and Fruit consumption Met 2003 National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Australian Dietary Guidelines

Whether vegetable and fruit consumption met the National Health and Medical Research Council's (NHMRC) Australian Dietary Guidelines (2003) was also derived on the 2017-18 NHS (although not published) for respondents 4 years and over according to the following numbers of servings.

	Age group (years)
Recommended serves per day	4-7	8-11	12-17	18+
Fruit
nnnn Males	1	1	3	2
nnnn Females	1	1	3	2
Vegetables
nnnn Males	2	3	4	5
nnnn Females	2	3	4	5

Comparability with 2014-15

Fruit and vegetable consumption data are considered directly comparable between the 2017-18 and 2014-15 NHS. The 2017-18 NHS did not collect information relating to milk and salt intake.

The 2017-18 NHS introduced new questions relating to sweetened drink consumption, for more information see 'Sugar sweetened and diet drink consumption'.

For information about the impact that collection methods have on the reporting of serves of vegetables and fruit consumed, see the National Health Survey: Users' Guide, 2014-15 (cat. no. 4363.0).

More information regarding comparisons between 2014-15 NHS and previous cycles is available in the National Health Survey: Users' Guide, 2014-15 (cat. no. 4363.0).