Healthier living still has gaps

Almost 20 per cent more New Zealanders are eating five or more helpings of fruit and vegetables a day, compared with five years ago, a survey has found.

The Hillary Commission's healthy eating organisation, Five-Plus-A-Day, surveyed 500 people about their shopping and eating habits in regards to fresh produce.

It found that those who did not consume that amount were predominantly lower socioeconomic groups and males, but 60 per cent knew the amount recommended for healthy living was five servings.

Five-Plus-A-Day spokeswoman Paula Dudley said that although the results were good, there were areas for improvement.

For example, she said men lagged women in vegetable consumption and younger people were often not sure how to prepare and cook vegetables.

Another concern was the 15 per cent of parents who never gave their children homemade lunches.

Other findings in the survey were that 66 per cent of parents were encouraging their children to eat more fruit and vegetables and most people preferred apples if snacking on fruit.

Ms Dudley said that despite a common belief that fruit and vegetables were expensive, takeaway foods were much more costly.

She showed that for the same price as a takeaway pizza, a shopper could buy a small pumpkin, bags of kiwifruit and apples, bananas, broccoli and a bag of potatoes.

- NZPA