Vegetables [1]
Why do we study the consumption of vegetables according to guidelines?
- A balanced diet plays an important role in maintaining and promoting health. The Superior Health Council provides food-based dietary guidelines [2] tailored to the Belgian population, aiming to reduce illness, premature death, and the overall disease burden caused in part by unhealthy eating habits.
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Vegetables are an important source of carbohydrates and dietary fibre. Depending on the type of vegetable, they contain a variety of vitamins and minerals such as iron, potassium, calcium, vitamin C, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, folic acid, beta-carotene and water. Vegetables naturally have low content in fat and provide bioactive compounds including antioxidants. Research shows that vegetable consumption is important in preventing or reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and other chronic diseases such as cancers, and is associated with a lower mortality risk.
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The Superior Health Council recommends that adults consume at least 300 g of vegetables per day.
How do we study the consumption of vegetables?
- Trained interviewers conducted two non-consecutive 24-hour dietary recalls to record all the foods and drinks participants had consumed on the previous day. These recalls were carried out in a standardised manner using a specialised computer program (GloboDiet®).
- Vegetable intake was assessed as habitual intake (also known as usual or long-term intake), representing the average daily intake over the long term. This method accounts for natural day-to-day variations in what and how much people eat, offering a more accurate picture of typical dietary habits over time. This is particularly important when evaluating whether a population meets dietary recommendations. All intakes mentioned in the results below refer to the mean habitual intake, unless stated otherwise.
- The statistical tool Statistical Program to Assess habitual Dietary Exposure (SPADE) was used to estimate habitual intake distributions based on the short-term data collected through the 24-hour dietary recalls.
- The detailed methodology can be found here [3].
What did we include as “vegetables”?
- Based on the recommendation of the Superior Health Council, “vegetables”:
- includes fresh vegetables, frozen vegetables, cooked vegetables, canned vegetables, jarred vegetables, and dried vegetables;
- does not include salted or pickled vegetables (for example, in brine, vinegar, or sweet and sour solutions, such as capers and salted dried tomatoes), vegetable juice, seaweed, (sweet) potatoes and other tubers, and corn.
KEY RESULTS
The population aged 3 years and older in Belgium eats on average 160 g of vegetables per day
Only 7% of adults eat the recommended minimum of 300 g of vegetables a day
The proportion of adults consuming at least 300 g of vegetables per day is higher in Flanders than in Wallonia
The proportion of adults consuming at least 300 g of vegetables per day is higher among those with a high level of education
The proportion of adults meeting the recommended intake of at least 300 g of vegetables per day has increased between 2014–2015 (4%) and 2022–2023 (7%)
By age and sex
Mean habitual intake of vegetables (g/day) in the population aged 3 years and older, by age and sex, Belgium: 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- Mean intake refers to the estimated mean habitual intake, calculated from two non-consecutive 24-hour dietary recalls.
- Older adults (65 years and above) do not include those residing in care facilities, hospitalised individuals, or those who would have required significant assistance during interviews (e.g., people with cognitive impairments).
- In Belgium, the mean intake of vegetables is 160 g/day for the population aged 3 years and older. The median intake is 147 g/day.
- The mean vegetable intake is similar in men and women.
- The mean vegetable intake increases with age: from 109 g/day in children (3-9 years) to 126 g/day in adolescents (10-17 years), and 172 g/day in adults aged 18-64 years and 65 years and older.
Proportion of the population aged 18 years and older consuming at least 300 g of vegetables per day, by age and sex, Belgium: 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- Children (3–9 years) and adolescents (10–17 years) are not included, as the dietary guideline set by the Superior Health Council applies only to adults.
- Older adults (65 years and above) do not include those residing in care facilities, hospitalised individuals, or those who would have required significant assistance during interviews (e.g., people with cognitive impairments).
- Only 7% of the adult population in Belgium meets the recommendation of consuming at least 300 g of vegetables per day.
- There are no differences between sexes or age groups in meeting this recommendation.
By educational level
Mean habitual intake of vegetables (g/day) in the population aged 3 years and older, by educational level, Belgium: 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- Mean intake refers to the estimated mean habitual intake, calculated from two non-consecutive 24-hour dietary recalls.
- The educational level is calculated at the household level by considering the highest diploma obtained by: (i) the respondents or their partner for adults (aged 18 years and above), or (ii) the father and mother (or carer, if applicable) for children and adolescents (aged 3 to 17 years). However, for simplicity, we refer to the educational level of individuals rather than the educational level of their households.
- People with a high level of education have a higher mean intake of vegetables (171 g/day) than those with a low (153 g/day) or medium level of education (151 g/day).
Proportion of the population aged 18 years and older consuming at least 300 g of vegetables per day, by educational level, Belgium: 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- Children (3–9 years) and adolescents (10–17 years) are not included, as the dietary guideline set by the Superior Health Council applies only to adults.
- The educational level is calculated at the household level by considering the highest diploma obtained by: (i) the respondents or their partner for adults (aged 18 years and above), or (ii) the father and mother (or carer, if applicable) for children and adolescents (aged 3 to 17 years). However, for simplicity, we refer to the educational level of individuals rather than the educational level of their households.
- The proportion of adults meeting the vegetable recommendation is 8% among those with a high level of education, 6% among those with a medium level of education and 5% among those with a low level of education level. However, it is not possible to conclude from the available data whether or not there is a difference between these three groups.
By region
Mean habitual intake of vegetables (g/day) in the population aged 3 years and older, by region, Belgium: 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- Mean intake refers to the estimated mean habitual intake, calculated from two non-consecutive 24-hour dietary recalls.
- Brussels is excluded from the regional comparison due to an insufficient number of participants, but is included in the national data for Belgium.
- The mean intake of vegetables is higher in Flanders (172 g/day) than in Wallonia (134 g/day).
Proportion of the population aged 18 years and older consuming at least 300 g of vegetables per day, by region, Belgium: 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- Children (3–9 years) and adolescents (10–17 years) are not included, as the dietary guideline set by the Superior Health Council applies only to adults.
- Brussels is excluded from the regional comparison due to an insufficient number of participants, but is included in the national data for Belgium.
- The proportion of adults meeting the recommended daily intake of at least 300 g of vegetables is twice as high in Flanders (9%) as in Wallonia (4%).
By year
Mean habitual intake of vegetables (g/day) in the population aged 3 to 64 years, by year, Belgium: 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- Mean intake refers to the estimated mean habitual intake, calculated from two non-consecutive 24-hour dietary recalls.
- Adults aged 65 years and older are not included as they were not part of the target population of the 2014-2015 survey.
- The mean intake of vegetables in the population aged 3-64 years has increased from 140 g/day in 2014-2015 to 157 g/day in 2022-2023.
Proportion of the population aged 18 to 64 years consuming at least 300 g of vegetables per day, by year, Belgium: 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- Children (3–9 years) and adolescents (10–17 years) are not included, as the dietary guideline set by the Superior Health Council applies only to adults.
- Adults aged 65 years and older are not included as they were not part of the target population of the 2014-2015 survey.
- The proportion of adults aged 18-64 years meeting the recommended daily intake of 300 g of vegetables has increased from 4% in 2014–2015 to 7% in 2022–2023.
Please cite this page as: Sciensano. Food-based dietary guidelines: Vegetables, Food Consumption Survey 2022-2023, June 2025, Brussels, Belgium, https://www.sciensano.be/en/results-national-food-consumption-survey-2022-2023/food-based-dietary-guidelines/vegetables [4]