Australians' daily fruit, vegetables intake woefully insufficient

Only 6 percent of Australians meet the recommended daily intake of vegetables and just 52 percent eat two or more pieces of fruit a day, official data showed Thursday.

The Australian Health Survey, Nutrition for 2011-12 by the Australian Bureau of Statistics where respondents shared their consumption over the past 24 hours, showed many Australian diets struggle to keep inside healthy guidelines.

Australian guidelines recommend each person consume two 150 grams serves of fruit and five 75 gram serves of vegetables each day. A recent update to the national food pyramid prioritized for the first time fruit and vegetables over former equals, breads and cereals.

The report found 35 percent of energy intake comes from " discretionary foods" - those foods high in sugar, fat, salt or alcohol that do not provide nutrients the body needs but add variety.

Adults obtained 6 percent of their daily discretionary energy from alcoholic beverages, with almost a third of adult respondents reported consuming at least one alcoholic beverage on the day before the interview.

Overall, alcohol provided 4 percent of energy intake for adults in Australia.

Australian men remain well about the suggested 2,300 milligram limit for salt, exceeding it by 17 percent. Women also faltered, with the recommended calcium intake of 840 mg and 1100 mg for females aged 51 years and over out of reach for most.

Despite being well under the recommended fruit and vegetable quota, most Australians were within the acceptable proportions for carbohydrates, fat, protein and alcohol.

Many health professionals have pointed the finger at processed carbohydrates for increasing the nation's waist line.

A high intake of vegetables or 10-13 serves per day is linked to weight control long term and to a lower risk of developing a number of lifestyle diseases, including some types of cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Endi