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Page | Last updated: 08 Apr 2021

Policy recommendations to address fruit and vegetable intake

Health Promotion Knowledge Gateway

Examples of policy recommendations to address fruit and vegetable intake

Guide choice through (dis)incentivesa
  • Consider the introduction of targeted subsidies to influence the affordability and access to fruit and vegetables particularly for vulnerable groups (e.g. include subsidized F&V in food and nutrition assistance programs.
  • 'Consider economic tools, including supply chain incentives, targeted subsidies and taxes to promote healthy eating, with due consideration to the overall impact on vulnerable groups'.
  • 'Strong evidence shows that subsidies for fresh fruits and vegetables, that reduce prices by 10–30%, are effective in increasing fruit and vegetable consumption. While evidence is mixed on the net effect of fruit and vegetable subsidies on net caloric intake and weight, overall diet quality improves, with a resulting improvement in health outcomes.
  • 'Greater effects on the net energy intake and weight may be accomplished by combining subsidies on fruit and vegetables and taxation of target foods'.

Enable or guide choice through changing defaulta
  • Formulation of 'policy measures directed at food retailers and caterers to explicitly address the availability, affordability and promotion of fruit and vegetables in these settings and simultaneously set rules for in-shop promotion of foods high in energy, saturated fats, trans fats, sugar or salt'.
  • Engagement in 'cross-government collaboration to facilitate healthier food choices in settings such as schools, kindergartens, nurseries, hospitals, public institutions and workplaces (e.g. by setting nutrients and food based standards in schools and public institutions.)'.
  • School nutrition policies should also improve the accessibility of fruit and vegetables), such as in a subsidized F&V scheme as the European Union School Fruit Scheme and other similar national schemes as examples of a broad partnership between the educations, health and agriculture sectors for improving the availability and affordability of F&V.
  • 'Establish health partnerships between local governments and supermarkets and retailers and other relevant stakeholders to promote the intake of fruits and vegetables and raise awareness (e.g. the on-going 6 a day or 5 a day campaigns)'.
  • Promote the consumption of fruit and vegetables as the basis for a healthy diet: increase F&V as snack food alternatives and reduce the number of servings of less healthy foods at the same time.
  • Develop a framework on preschool and school meals including the distribution of F&V (e.g. via the existing EU School Fruit, Vegetable and Milk Scheme, and the proposal for a New School Scheme).
  • Extension of the national implementation of the School Fruit, Vegetable and Milk Scheme, with involvement of more schools; increase the number/amount of F&V per child.
  • Implementation of pilot projects promoting healthy diets and distribution of fruits and vegetables targeting vulnerable population groups such as children, pregnant women and elderly, with a special on low income households
  • 'Increase the intake of fruit and vegetables, within a variety of settings, e.g. encourage the establishment and use of direct–to consumer marketing outlets such as farmers’ markets and community supported agricultural subscriptions. Encourage home food production through the following schemes; rooftop/balcony gardens; school raised bed gardens. Planting fruit trees in parks, school grounds, urban streetscapes and waste ground areas to encourage free picking & consumption of fresh fruit'.

Provide informationa
  • Increase the duration (length) of fruit and vegetable distribution in schools while ensuring education on healthy eating habits andcombating food waste is delivered with the school fruit, vegetable and milk scheme.

a Based on the Nuffield intervention ladder as described in Public Health: ethical issues from the Nuffield Council on Bioethics Nov2007 (pdf)