Abstract

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Background

Eating fruit and vegetables is recommended as part of a healthy diet. This study describes trends in the frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption in Canada, the contribution of fruit juice to these trends, and correlates of the frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption.

Data and methods

The data are from the annual Canadian Community Health Survey for the 2007-to-2014 period and pertain to the household population aged 12 or older. Weighted frequencies and cross-tabulations were used to estimate the average frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption by socio-demographic characteristics and body mass index, age-standardized to the 2014 Canadian population. Multivariate logistic regressions were used to examine correlates of frequency of fruit and vegetable intake in 2014.

Results

In 2014, Canadians reported consuming fruit and vegetables an average of 4.7 times a day, a slight, but significant, decrease from 5.0 times a day in 2007. The decrease over time was no longer significant when fruit juice was excluded (dropping to an average of 4.1 times a day in both years). Canadians drank less juice in 2014 than in 2007, a decline that was apparent across all age, sex and household income quintiles, all regions, and all weight categories. In 2014, Canadians who reported consuming fruit and vegetables 5 or more times a day tended to be female, in younger age groups, in the highest household income quintile, and neither overweight nor obese.

Interpretation

Between 2007 and 2014, Canadians’ reported frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption was consistently low. Correlates of fruit and vegetable consumption can be used to target nutrition policy and education efforts to improve intake.

Keywords

Diet, dietary habits, eating, food intake, health behaviour, nutrition

Findings

Fruit and vegetable consumption is recommended as part of a healthy diet. Fruit and vegetables are a source of vitamins and minerals, including folate, vitamin A, vitamin C, and carotenoids. They also provide fibre, which is important for digestive health. Diets that include fruit and vegetables have been linked to a lower risk of some chronic conditions, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and colorectal cancer. High consumption of fruit and vegetables suggests better diet quality. [Full Text]

Authors

Cynthia K. Colapinto (cynthia.colapinto@canada.ca) and Sylvie St-Pierre are with the Office of Nutrition Policy and Promotion at Health Canada. John Graham is with the Health Statistics Division at Statistics Canada.

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