A survey showed that less than 30% of Koreans ate the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables.
According to the '2021 National Health Statistics' of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the 2021 National Health and Nutrition Survey, only 25.5% of the population aged 6 or older ate more than 500 g of fruits and vegetables per day.
Among adults aged 19 and older, only 28.1% were eating more than the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables.
Even in the 2015 survey, the percentage of fruit and vegetable eaters of 500g or more per day recorded 38.6% (based on age 6 or older), but it is showing a decreasing trend to 33.1% in 2016, 28.1% in 2019, and 26.2% in 2020.
By gender, more men (27.9%) ate enough fruits and vegetables than women (23.0%).
The younger they were, the more fruits and vegetables were lacking in their diets.
It was found that 44.2% and 45.3% of those in their 50s and 60s, respectively, were eating enough fruits and vegetables.
22.9% of the 'lower' income level group and 29.0% of the 'higher' group consumed more than the recommended amount, indicating that the income level and fruit/vegetable intake were proportional to each other.
Overall, the amount of fruits and vegetables consumed by Koreans is decreasing.
In a survey in 2012, 10 years ago, the daily intake of vegetables and fruits for Koreans aged 1 year and older was 283.9g and 172.3g for fruits, but in 2021, they decreased to 248.8g and 116g, respectively.
(Photo = Yonhap News)