UK – Veg power, a non-profit organization, has collaborated with nutrition experts for a second public health campaign to improve UK family diets dubbed Simply Veg.
The campaign, which was launched on October 18, 2023, aims to bring together an alliance of the top nutritionists and chefs with psychologists and children’s entertainers to combine their skills to improve UK families’ diets, according to the group.
“The campaign offers a unique and holistic approach that moves beyond traditional public health nutrition education to helping parents with the real challenges they face every day – while making it fun for kids,” announced Veg Power.
According to the group, the campaign moves beyond traditional public health campaigns and focuses on wider issues by offering a unique and holistic approach to improving families’ diets.
“Through our work over the last six years we have gained a deep understanding of the complexities of feeding a family and have developed this campaign so that it caters for all, no matter what their particular struggle may be,” Commented Dan Parker, chief executive, Veg Power, on the launch of Simply Veg.
Further adding that the UK’s current eating habits are in desperate need of improvement with four out of five of the top risk factors for death and disability in the UK currently being diet related.
In another survey conducted by the British Nutrition Foundation in 2021, 62% of Britons have altered their diet to get healthier in the past year.
The survey also revealed that one-third of people (33%) included more fruits and vegetables in their diets, 29% started cooking healthier meals, and 32% have been drinking more water.
Additionally, 64% of respondents in the survey said that they check nutritional information food labels when grocery shopping, 41% of people look at labels particularly when buying a new food item.
Moreover, according to a report by Statista, the production and trade of fruits and vegetables in the UK is expected to continue growing.
While the British Isles do not have many native fruits and vegetables, early crop cultivation and trade in the centuries after gives reasons as to why there is such a strong presence of fruits and vegetables in British culinary culture.
Today, potatoes, turnips, parsnips, cabbage, carrots, and peas are used in a variety of British dishes. Fruits and berries in the UK are often used in desserts and jams, reveals the report.
As of 2021, 25% of UK consumers were eating one to six portions of vegetables or salad a week, excluding potatoes.
“Just over 11% of consumers are eating four or more portions each day and just about 5% are eating less than a portion of vegetables and salad a week, if any at all,” outlines the report.
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