Italians Falling Short on Fruit & Veggie Intake, Frozen Options Offer Solution
Rome, Italy - A concerning trend is emerging in Italy: daily fruit and vegetable consumption has plummeted from 94% in 2004 too 78.2% in 2024, raising health concerns as the nation struggles to meet recommended dietary guidelines. While the World Health Association (WHO) advises five daily portions, a mere 7% of italians currently adhere to this recommendation, hampered by busy lifestyles, food waste, and increasing costs.
The decline comes as the Italian Institute of Frozen Food (Iias) reports a surge in frozen vegetable popularity, with over 300,000 tonnes consumed in 2024 – a growth of +1.9%. Preliminary data from the first nine months of 2025 indicates continued growth, showing a +0.4% increase in retail volume compared to the same period last year.
“Vegetables are the basis of the Mediterranean diet,considered the healthiest and most balanced lifestyle worldwide,” explains Giorgio donegani,President of Iias.”In Italy, they have always been central to our cuisine, even in the form of a simple side dish – a habit synonymous with health.”
Research from the ‘Sorveglianza Passi dell’ISS’ study underscores the importance of this habit, suggesting that regular fruit and vegetable consumption could prevent over 135,000 deaths, one-third of coronary diseases, and 11% of strokes. This is due to the low calorie count and high nutrient density of vegetables, packed with vitamins, minerals, fibers, and antioxidants that bolster the immune system and reduce the risk of chronic illnesses.
Frozen vegetables are being positioned as a key solution to bridging the gap between dietary recommendations and reality. Donegani notes that frozen options “represent a great ally and allow us to keep alive the Italian tradition of side dishes, made up of simple, tasty and genuine dishes. Moreover, frozen products allow us to guarantee variety, balance and nutritional quality in every season, even when the availability of fresh products is more tough.”
Beyond health benefits, cost savings are also a factor.Fresh green beans,such as,can cost 53% more than their frozen counterparts,largely due to food waste and readiness time. Interestingly, consumer preference surveys indicate that frozen vegetables are often preferred over fresh, especially in dishes like minestrone and green beans.
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