Kids Food Guarantee Update: Fruit, veg and wholegrain - August 2024

Fruit, vegetables and wholegrains are a key component of a healthy diet. In the UK, the Eatwell Guide recommends consuming at least five portions of fruit and veg daily and basing meals around starchy carbohydrates, preferably wholegrain due to their higher fibre content.

However, despite these recommendations 95% of adults are not eating enough wholegrains, only a third of adults are getting their five-a-day and just 9% of us are eating enough fibre.

Additionally, there are significant dietary inequalities between income groups in fruit and veg consumption, with only 55% of low-income households meeting the 5-a-day recommendation compared to 85% of high-income households.

Our findings show that the cost of buying a week’s worth of low cost fruit and veg has increased this year, disproportionately impacting low income families, although the price of low cost wholegrain carbohydrates has seen a welcome fall in price.