A workshop among scientific experts and regional, national and EU policymakers to discuss the impact of ageing of the EU population on the health systems and long-term care.
Summary of FBDG recommendations for fruit and vegetables for the EU, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom
Due care was taken to ensure factually correct information. Food groupings and food group names differ across individual FBDGs; the ones used here are a compromise to present the information in a structured way. Differences such as those in number of portions and portion sizes were kept unaltered. The original country FBDGs and the responsible national public health authorities remain the only qualified points of reference.
Country | Quantitative recommendations | Qualitative recommendations | Portion size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | - | Choose fruit and vegetables according to seasonal availability | - |
| Bulgaria | at least 400 grams of a variety of vegetables and fruits | - Eat a variety of vegetables and fruits at every meal. - Choose fresh vegetables and fruits according to the season. - Use shorter, gentler culinary technologies for the preparation of fruit and vegetables, adding a minimum amount of fat, salt and sugar. | - |
| Czechia | - Consume at least 400 g per day (vegetables 2 times more than fruit) | - | - |
Country | Quantitative recommendations | Qualitative recommendations | Portion size |
| Denmark | 6 portions/day of fruits and vegetables (ca. 600 g, half of which at least shall be vegetables) | - A small glass of juice (100 ml) can count as 1 of your ‘6 a day’, but only as 1. - Choose seasonal vegetables, fruits and berries. - Choose especially: High-fibre vegetables such as peas, cabbage and root vegetables; Dark green vegetables such as spinach, broccoli and kale (about 100 g a day is adequate); Red and orange vegetables such as carrots, tomatoes and red peppers (about 100 g a day is adequate). - Frozen and preserved vegetables, such as frozen peas or peeled tomatoes, also count towards the 600 g a day.
| 1 portion corresponds to one large carrot or one apple. |
| Note: Potatoes, mushrooms and dried fruit such as raisins do not count towards the 600g a day | |||
| Germany | Eat at least 650 g fruit and vegetables per day in total (at least 400 g vegetables, 250 g fruit) | - | - |
| Estonia | 3-5 portions of vegetables and 2-3 portions of fruit and berries | - | - |
Country | Quantitative recommendations | Qualitative recommendations | Portion size |
| Ireland | - 5-7 servings fruit and vegetables a day. - Limit fruit juice to once a day with a meal and always choose unsweetened. | - Base your meals on fruit and vegetables (up to half your plate or bowl at every meal) and enjoy a variety of colours. - More is better. - Limit fruit juice to unsweetened, once a day. | - |
| Note: Prepare your meals using mostly fresh ingredients and choose fruit, salads and vegetables for snacks | |||
| Greece | 4 servings (150-200 g per serving, raw or cooked) of vegetables and 3 servings (120-200 g per serving) of fruit daily | - Include a variety of fruit and vegetables. - Prefer seasonal products. - Prefer fresh, whole fruit. | - |
| Spain | A minimum of 5 servings of fruit and vegetables daily | - | - |
Country | Quantitative recommendations | Qualitative recommendations | Portion size |
| France | - At least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables per day. - The recommended serving sizes are 80 g to 100 g. | - It is recommended to increase fruit and vegetables consumption, regardless of the initial consumption level. - All forms of fruit and vegetables are taken into account: fresh, frozen or canned. - Favour fruit and vegetables grown according to production methods that reduce pesticide exposure (precautionary principle). | - |
| Croatia | Eat five or more portions of fruit or vegetables a day | Prefer fresh and seasonal produce. | A portion is as much fruit or vegetables as you can fit in your hand. |
| Italy | At least 5 portions, but more is better | - Eat more fruits and vegetables. - Consume more portions of fresh vegetables and fruit daily, always taking care not to add too much oils or other fats and limit sugar and salt. - Choose fruit and vegetables as a snack as well. - Choose fruit and vegetables of different colours. | - |
Country | Quantitative recommendations | Qualitative recommendations | Portion size |
| Cyprus | At least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables per day | - | - |
| Latvia | At least 5 servings (or 500g) of vegetables, fruits and berries every day, with at least half of them being fresh | - Try to choose locally sourced and seasonal vegetables and fruits, berries, also in frozen form. - Give preference to whole or sliced fresh vegetables and fruits, berries. - Fruit or vegetable juices, on the other hand, should be consumed less frequently and in small amounts. | - |
| Lithuania | At least 400-500 g or 5 portions of vegetables, fruits or berries every day | - Eat vegetables, fruits or berries at every meal. - It is best to use fresh vegetables, fruits and berries, but you can also use them frozen, dried, stewed. - Consume vegetables, fruit or berry juices in moderation. | One serving of vegetables, fruits or berries corresponds to a bowl of salad, a medium-sized cucumber or apple, a handful of berries, etc |
Country | Quantitative recommendations | Qualitative recommendations | Portion size |
| Luxembourg | 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day | - Should be eaten with every meal (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and if you're feeling peckish between meals. - You can eat them raw, cooked, plain or prepared; fresh, frozen or tinned. - Opt for local, seasonal fruit and vegetables, wherever possible. Fruit and vegetables can be steamed, boiled in a little water, or cooked in a pan or in the oven with a little fat. | 80-100g : an average-sized tomato, apple or peach; a bowl of soup; 2 apricots; 2 mandarins; 2 handfuls of strawberries, raspberries, grapes or chopped vegetables, etc |
| Hungary | At least 4 servings of fruit and vegetables a day, of which at least 1 is fresh or raw | - Half of what you eat every day should be fruit and vegetables. - Eat fresh fruit and vegetables every day. | - |
| Malta | 3-5 servings of vegetables (min. 240 g) and 2-3 servings of fruit (min. 160 g) | - Vegetables can be part of soups, salad and sauces. - Fruits can be part of snacking in between meals, as desserts. | - |
Country | Quantitative recommendations | Qualitative recommendations | Portion size |
| Netherlands | - From 14 years: -For younger children other amounts apply (see separate recommendations for fruit and for vegetables) | Eat lots of fruit and vegetables | - |
| Note: Vegetable juices and fruit juices are considered as sugar-containing beverages, and not as vegetables and fruit | |||
| Austria | 2 portions of fruit and 3 portions of vegetables (and/or legumes) daily are ideal | Eat a part of the vegetables raw and consider regional/seasonal produce in your selection | - |
| Poland | At least 400 g/d, in at least 5 portions, of which 1 serving can be fruit juice | Eat fruit and vegetables as often as possible and as much as possible, at least half of what you eat | - |
Country | Quantitative recommendations | Qualitative recommendations | Portion size |
| Portugal | 3-5 servings/d each of fruit and vegetables | - | - |
| Romania | 5 servings/d | - | - |
| Slovenia | - | - Eat a variety of vegetables and fruits several times a day. - Choose locally grown and fresh vegetables and fruits. | - |
Country | Quantitative recommendations | Qualitative recommendations | Portion size |
| Slovakia | At least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables per day | - Give preference to organic and seasonal products. - Preferably raw fruit and vegetables should represent 1/3 of your daily consumption. | - |
| Finland | Root vegetables, vegetables, berries, fruit and mushrooms: 500 g/ d, or about 5-6 portions | - Fruits and berries should be approximately half of the amount of root vegetables and vegetables. - Part of it should be enjoyed uncooked. Sugared and salted products not recommended. | - |
| Sweden | - Eat at least 500 g of vegetables and fruit every day. - This is equivalent to two generous handfuls of vegetables, root vegetable and legumes and two pieces of fruit, for example. | - | - |
| Notes: Not expressed in terms of "portions". Potatoes not included. | |||
Country | Quantitative recommendations | Qualitative recommendations | Portion size |
| United Kingdom | - Eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. - Fruit and vegetables should make up just over a third of the food we eat each day. | - Choose from fresh, frozen, tinned, dried or juiced. - Try to eat as many different types of fruit and vegetables as possible. | - |
| Note: Includes legumes | |||
| Switzerland | 5 portions fruit and vegetables per day | - Choose different colours. - One daily portion of fruit or vegetables can be replaced by 2 dl of vegetable or fruit juice (with no added sugar). - Prefer fresh products. - Seasonal and local products are also recommended. | - |
| Iceland | - Fruits and a lot of vegetables, 5 portions/d or 500 g, at least half of it should be vegetables. - Juice is not included in "Five a day" (five portions of fruit and vegetables). | - Eat vegetables and fruit with every meal and also in between meals. - Eat a variety of vegetables, both fiber rich, for example broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, root V, onions, beans and lentils, as well as water rich species such as tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber and paprika. - Eat both raw and cooked vegetables and also mix them in dishes. - Frozen vegetables can also be a good option and bean and vegetables dishes are also recommended. - Use vegetables and fruit as a toppings on bread. | - |
| Norway | - Min. 5 servings fruit, vegetables and berries per day. - Half should be vegetables. | - Vary between different types of vegetables and fruit. - You can use fresh, tinned, frozen and heated vegetables, fruit and berries. | - |
| Originally Published | Last Updated | 07 Dec 2020 | 17 Oct 2024 |
| Knowledge service | Metadata | Health Promotion Knowledge Gateway | Food-Based Dietary Guidelines in Europe |
| Digital Europa Thesaurus (DET) | health policy |