The Vegan Society Urges Government Action After New Data Shows ‘Alarming’ Fall in Five-A-Day Fruit and Veg Consumption
The Vegan Society has urged the government to act on the results of the 2019–23 National Diet and Nutrition Survey, published today (11 June 2025), describing the survey's findings as 'alarming'.
The Government's upcoming food strategy must urgently address this ticking timebomb for public health and include measures to dramatically increase fruit and veg consumption in the UK and recommend plant-based diets.
Low intake of fruit, vegetables and fibre is consistently linked to a multitude of chronic health conditions including Type 2 Diabetes, cardiovascular disease and bowel cancer.
Governments elsewhere in the world are taking action now to ensure their citizens are able to eat more healthy, sustainable, plant-based foods. Here in the UK, successive governments have been bystanders as diets have deteriorated.
This new data shows that current efforts are not working.
There is a critical need for the government to lead a transition towards plant-rich diets and take steps to ensure that plant-based foods are accessible, affordable and attractive to people including through providing practical education for the general public about growing, preparing and cooking fruit, vegetables, pulses and wholegrains; integrated and holistic public health campaigns to promote fruit and vegetable consumption; and encouraging food supply companies to take up the challenge of transitioning towards a higher proportion of sales of plant-based foods.
People want to eat healthier and more sustainable diets and the government must make it as easy as possible.
