How much is '5-a-day'? A qualitative investigation into consumer understanding of fruit and vegetable intake guidelines.

Abstract in brief

• The study explored how well low fruit and vegetable (FV) consumers understand intake guidelines, using focus groups and questionnaires, and found that while they knew about the 5-a-day message, they lacked clarity on what counts as a portion and the concept of variety.
• Participants suggested that clearer information should be provided on food packaging and through health campaigns to improve understanding of portion sizes and FV intake.
• The research recommends future public health efforts should focus on filling these knowledge gaps and include evaluations to measure how well these initiatives influence both understanding and actual FV consumption.]