Fruit, nuts, seeds and olives

Fruit, nuts, seeds and olives [1]

Why do we study dietary patterns of the population?

What we eat and drink has a direct impact on our health and well-being. By studying dietary patterns in the population (What foods are eaten? At what frequency? By whom?), we can identify areas for improvement and make informed decisions to promote better diets. This knowledge helps address the risk of diet-related diseases and supports the development of healthy, sustainable food systems.
The current page is focused on general consumption of fruit, nuts, seeds and olives regardless their conservation and preparation method. More information on the comparison of the habitual intake of ‘fruit’ or ‘nuts and seeds’ with dietary guidelines can be found here [2] and here [3].

How do we study the consumption of fruits, nuts, seeds and olives?

The consumption of fruits, nuts, seeds and olives consumption was assessed, overall and for different population groups, using data from two non-consecutive 24-hour dietary recalls. Trained interviewers recorded twice, on two non-consecutive days, all the foods and drinks that participants had consumed on the previous day using a specialised computer program (GloboDiet®).
The mean consumption of fruits, nuts, seeds and olives (in grams/day) was then calculated using the average consumption, overall and by sub-categories, over the two recall days of each participant. The top-10 most consumed fruits were also derived from the 24-hour recall data. Since mean distributions are skewed, comparisons between population subgroups should be interpreted with caution.
In addition to the 24-hour recalls, participants (or parent in case of children) also completed a Food Frequency Questionnaire: they reported how often they consumed a specific food or food group in the last 12 months. On this page, we present the frequency of frequency of fruit, nuts and seeds consumption using the following categories: “Never”, “less than once a week”, “1 time per week”, “2-4 times per week”, “5-6 times per week” and “once a day or more”.
The detailed methodology can be found here [4].

What is included in the group of “fruit, nuts, seeds and olives”?

The results obtained on the basis of data from 24-hour food recalls include the following sub-categories:
- Fruits including fresh fruit, frozen fruit, dried fruit and canned fruit;
- Fruit compote such as apple sauce and apricot puree;
- Nuts and seeds;
- Nut and seed spreads such as peanut butter;
- Olives.
Besides, results linked to data derived from the Food Frequency Questionnaire include:
- Fruits, i.e. fresh or frozen;
- Nuts and seeds such as almonds, peanuts, cashew nuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds, etc.

KEY RESULTS

The mean consumption of fruit, nuts, seeds and olives is 126 g per day, of which 114 g of fruit per day

18% of the population never consumes nuts and seeds, while 9% consumes nuts and seeds daily

The proportion of the population that consumes fruit at least once a day increases with educational level

The proportion of the population consuming fruit at least once a day is the lowest in adolescents (10-17 years) (38%) and young adults (18-39 years) (36%)

Apple (60 g per day), banana (51 g per day) and fruit compote (21 g per day) are the most consumed fruits