More fish and vegetables and less sugar-sweetened soft drinks are some of the new trends that contribute positively to the Danish diet. These are some of the findings of the latest Danish national diet survey conducted by the National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark.
The latest Danish national survey of diet and physical activity shows that Danes are closer to meeting some of the official dietary recommendations. Nearly 4,000 people have participated in the national survey from 2011-2013.
More fish and vegetables
"It is actually quite simple: By following the well-documented, official dietary guidelines it is possible to achieve a healthy diet."
Most Danes eat vegetables every day and the proportion of the diet that vegetables account for has increased almost 20 percent since the last diet survey from 2003-2008. People have particularly increased their consumption of low-fibre vegetables such as cucumber and lettuce. The proportion of fruit in the adult diet has dropped approximately 16 percent in the same period.
”If you consider the recommendation to eat 600 grams of fruit and vegetables every day it would be beneficial if both children and adults added one more piece of fruit and an extra high-fibre vegetable to their diet,” Senior Advisor Sisse Fagt from the National Food Institute says.
Average consumption of fish has also increased, particularly in the adult diet which contains approximately 14 grams more fish per day. However, daily intake of fish is still skewed: Approximately one third of participants have a diet that contains only small amounts of fish. In fact one of out every ten participants doesn’t eat fish at all. In contrast, about a quarter of the participants eat more than the recommended 50 grams of fish a day.
Fish is a particularly good source of vitamin D and other vital nutrients, so it would be good for Danes to eat more meals containing fish,” Senior Advisor Agnes N. Pedersen from the National Food Institute explains.
Fewer empty calories
The proportion of children’s and adults’ total energy intake which added sugar accounts for has decreased slightly. This is primarily because people drink fewer sugar-sweetened soft drinks and eat less sugary food products. However, half of the 4-14-year-olds and one in three adults still eat too much sugar.
"Sweet treats are empty calories because they–unlike other food groups–only contribute very modestly to the intake of vitamins and minerals, so it is encouraging to see a decrease in how many sweets and soft drinks Danes are having," Sisse Fagt says.
”It is actually quite simple: By following the well-documented, official dietary guidelines it is possible to achieve a healthy diet,” Sisse Fagt emphasizes.
Read more
Results from the Danish national survey of diet and physical activity are presented in the report: Danskernes kostvaner 2011-2013 (pdf – in Danish only with an English summary). Printed copies of the report can be purchased for 250 kroner from schultzboghandel.dk.
The survey also shows that the Danish diet exceeds the recommended saturated fat content by 50 percent. Read more in the National Food Institute’s press release from 12 March 2015: Danes are still eating too much saturated fat.
Data for the most recent Danish national survey of diet and physical activity was collected from 2011 to 2013. The survey includes 3,946 people aged 4-75 years.
In the survey participants record what they eat and drink and how much they exercise during an entire week. They are also asked about their sociodemographic background, eating habits and attitudes to as well as knowledge about healthy eating and exercise.
The survey results can be used to plan initiatives promoting healthy eating habits that can prevent diet-related diseases.