Brits not eating enough greens

One in twenty Brits have not eaten a single green vegetable in a MONTH or longer, according to a shocking new report.

Nationwide research into the health and diet of Britons has revealed a staggering 68 percent have not put anything green on their plate for over a week, while nearly one in twenty (4 percent) admit to not eating a green vegetable in a month or longer.

Health experts recommend a diet rich in green leafy vegetables due to their important health benefits, including protecting bones from osteoporosis and helping to prevent inflammatory diseases and because of their high content of antioxidants, green leafy veg are hailed as one of the best cancer-preventing foods available.

However, according to the findings, it is not just green vegetables Brits are shunning, with the average adult consuming merely THREE of the recommended five to ten portions of fruit and veg a day.

Worryingly, only 37 percent of those polled could say with confidence they have a healthy diet, with 6 percent admitting they eat badly all the time – and 17 percent saying they feel guilty all the time due to their diet.

In fact, as many as 16 percent say they feel “unhealthy” and a further 13 percent went as far as to say their diet was making them unhappy.

According to the survey, of 1500 adults, conducted by Organic UK, the average Brit has not eaten a meal made mostly of fresh produce – not from tinned, packet or frozen in as many as four days.

The survey also revealed that white and starchy carbohydrates, including chips, pasta and potatoes, make up the majority (35 percent) of the British dinner plates, contrary to the advice of health professionals who insist most of our plates should be filled with fresh fruit and veg.

Aileen Nicol, Campaign Director at Organic UK, comments: “We were astonished at the results of this poll which show that a large proportion of Brits are clearly not getting enough fresh, organic foods in their diets. The fact that almost 40 percent of the average dinner plate is beige in colour is worrying, as there are so many benefits of a diet rich in organic proteins and vegetables, not to mention the positive impact choosing organic has for animal welfare and the environment.

“The importance of ‘feel good food’ is proven by this poll which shows that 13% of people feel unhappy due to what they eat. Our Organic ‘Feed Your Happy’ campaign aims to show how easy it is to eat food which makes you feel good, as well as tasting great, and with Organic September upon us what better time to give organic a go”.

When it comes to how much we eat, 19 percent only consider the quantity of what they are eating when they are on a diet, while over a third (37 percent) of those polled have never considered portion size in their life.

Whilst we may not pay too much attention to the portion size, it seems we do care about the provenance of our food. According to the poll, 67 percent say they would prefer to eat organic foods while 76 percent often think about where their food comes from.

When looking at vegetables we do eat – Brits can be an unadventurous lot with 53 percent having never tried okra, 37 percent having never eaten an artichoke and 36 percent having never tried celeriac.

Other veg British adults are reluctant to try include butternut squash (20 percent), kale (19 percent), aubergine (18 percent) and despite being a millennial favourite, 15 percent have never tasted an avocado.

And according to the poll, the most hated vegetable is STILL the humble sprout – with 15 percent of the vote, followed by celery (13 percent) and the aubergine with ten percent of Brits saying they cannot stand it.