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The Swedish National Food Administration recommends that we eat 500 grammes of fruit and vegetables every day. Included under the heading "fruit and vegetables" are also berries, juice, dried fruit, root vegetables (carrots, beets, etc.), and dried legumes. Potatoes are not included.
Not enough fruit and vegetables The background to the recommendation is based in part on data gained from national food and eating habit surveys that show that we do not eat enough fruit and vegetables.
A significant proportion of the population does not eat fruit or vegetables on a daily basis at all.Women eat more fruit and vegetables than men, and consumption levels among teenagers and young adults are also generally lower, with the exception of juice.
Experts explain The issue of how much fruit and vegetables we should be eating has been examined by a team of specialists on dietary and health issues. These experts agreed to recommend higher consumption of fruits and vegetables because eating more of these foods:
•helps to provide a balanced and health-promoting diet
•promotes the absorption of iron through increased vitamin C intake
•helps to increase intake of folate
•helps to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease
•helps to reduce the risk of certain types of cancer
•helps us to keep our weight under control
The same team of experts also notes that our intake of fruit and vegetables should occur mainly in connection with meals. Eating a lot of fruit between meals increases the risk of tooth decay.