Newsletter

Government food recommendations

The Ministry of Health Eating and Activity Guidelines (2020), provide comprehensive guidance to support health living. These guidelines suggest adults should eat at least 5 servings of vegetables per day. 

The guidelines do vary a little by age, gender and needs - see below:

From the age of four, children should eat at least 4 servings of vegetables per day.  These recommendations also vary by age and gender, as shown below.

A standard serving of vegetables is about 75g, which is about the same as:

  • ½ cup cooked vegetables (eg, pūhā, watercress, silverbeet, kamokamo (squash), carrot, broccoli, bok choy, cabbage or taro leaves)
  • ½ cup canned vegetables (eg, beetroot, tomato, sweet corn)
  • 1 cup green leafy or raw salad vegetables
  • ½ medium kūmara, taewa (Māori potato), yam (Pacific or NZ), taro, cassava, or green banana 
  • 1 medium tomato.

Results of the 2016/17 Health Survey, showed about 6 in 10 adults (62%) were eating at least three servings of vegetables each day. In 2020 the Ministry of Health revised the Eating and Activity Guidelines and now recommend adults eat 5 servings of vegetables a day. The 2021/22 Health Survey showed just over 10% of adults meet this new recommendation. 

There a lot of work to do to encourage people to enjoy more vegetables - but even just one more serve a day is a great step in the right direction. 

 

       

Vegetable intake by young people

        Food and Nutrition
Guidelines for healthy
children and young people
2008/2009		        Health Survey      
2015/16		 Health Survey 2016/17
Boys 2-14 years old     Eating 3 or more vegetables per day   52.3% 51.2%
Boys 2-14 years old     Eating 2 or more fruit per day   73.4% 70.6%
             
Girls 2-14 years old     Eating 3 or more vegetables per day   48.7% 51.6%
Girls 2-14 years old     Eating 2 or more fruit per day   73.9% 74.4%
             
Young people 5-24 years old     Eating 3 or more vegetables per day 40%    
Young people 5-24 years old     Eating 2 or more fruit per day 69%    
             
Males 15-18 years old     Eating 3 or more vegetables per day 51%    
             
Males 15-18 years old     Eating 2 or more fruit per day 61%    
             
Females 15-18 years old     Eating 3 or more vegetables per day 62%    
Females 15-18 years old
     Eating 2 or more fruit per day 65%    

After adjusting for age, Pacific and Asian men and women were less likely to eat the recommended 3  servings a day of vegetables compared to men and women in the total population.

Statistics from New Zealand Ministry of Health nutrition surveys over the past 20 years

 

  Per day LINZ Study     
1993
 NZ Food
NZ People 1999		 Portrait of Health
200-2007    
 NZ Health Survey
2011-2013		 Health Survey
2015/16
 NZ Health Survey 2016/17
Males Eating 3 or more vegetables 57% 62% 56% 59.3% 58.8% 57.4%
Males Eating 2 or more fruit 27% 34% 50% 54.6% 49.0% 47.7%
               
Females Eating 3 or more vegetables 58% 73% 69% 72.2% 66% 65.8%
Females Eating 2 or more fruit 38% 56% 68% 65.8% 62.3% 59.7%

 

Note: These are based on the standard serving sizes.