Dieticians are the free mouthpiece of the fruit and vegetable industry but believe there is more the trade could do with them to increase consumption.
“We are doing your work for you,” Ursula Arens, a dietician and features editor of Network Health Dietitians magazine told FPJ. “And we are doing it with wholeheartedness. But we have found that whereas people can increase their fruit intake, it is much more of a challenge to increase intake of vegetables. And especially getting kids to come together with vegetables is something that we really haven’t cracked.”
She suggested the industry could look further afield for inspiration. “For those who are promoting fresh vegetables, it would be interesting to go outside the UK and look at how they get children in other cultures to eat vegetables, such as the Chinese or Italians. It might mean using more oil or cheese, but I think it could involve some wonderfully creative chefs to find ways that are quick and easy.”
Arens was speaking following the publication of a survey among dieticians on nutrition and the environment. The survey found that only one per cent of dieticians would suggest eating an organic apple to a client, while for 86 per cent any apple would do.
“Dieticians are science-led and evidence-based and so we are steered towards what research shows,” said Arens. “Eating any apple, grape or carrot or other produce should be message number one. Whether it is organic or not is a very much lower concern. This survey shows that most dieticians would support the Food Standards Agency statement that research does not show any nutritional difference between organic and conventional produce.”
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