UK households consumed four portions of fruit and vegetables a day in 2011, a figure unchanged over the previous three years, according to new data released by DEFRA.

The government-led research found that low-income households are the least frequent buyers of fruit and vegetables achieving 2.9 per cent of their 5 A DAY in 2011, 14 per cent less than the rate in 2007. In the same year, the highest income quintile purchased an average of 4.9 per cent portions of fruit and vegetables a day.

Meanwhile, women are the most frequent consumers of 5 A DAY with 29 per cent of women achieving the healthy milestone in 2011. In comparison, just 24 per cent of the UK's men and only 18 per cent of its children met this target in 2011. The rate of 5 A DAY consumption among UK women and men has fallen by a respective rate of three and four per cent since 2006.

And despite the government continuing its push to promote the benefits of fruit and vegetables to children, DEFRA also revealed that the 55-75 year-old group is the most frequent consumer of fresh produce, with nearly five per cent of the UK's children consuming no fruit and vegetables whatsoever in 2011.

'It is disastrous that we consume so little fruit and veg as it is hugely important in terms of nutrition, and they are food stuffs that tend not to have lots of calories,' said Tam Fry of the National Obesity Forum.

DEFRA revealed that dealing with obesity is costing the government £5.1 billion per year, with 25 per cent of all UK adults obese and a further 37 per cent overweight.

A recent report by the European Food Information Council claimed that the UK was near the bottom of European fruit and vegetable consumption with only Finland, the Czech Republic, Sweden and Iceland consuming less.

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