Maintaining a diet rich in fruits and vegetables contributes to a lower risk of chronic diseases, such as hypertension and type 2 diabetes, and a reduced risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease, two of the leading causes of death in Canada.
In 2023, just over one in five Canadian adults (21.6%) living in the provinces ate fruit and vegetables five or more times a day, with the rate varying depending on several factors, including age, sex, and ethnicity.
© Statistics Canada
Quebec is Canada's fruit and vegetable-eating champion
In Quebec, over one in four residents (27.1%) ate fruit and vegetables five or more times a day in 2023, the highest proportion among the provinces.
Rates were lowest in Atlantic Canada, ranging from 13.4% in Newfoundland and Labrador to 16.8% in New Brunswick.
Older Canadians outstrip younger adults in frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption
Canadians aged 65 years and older (24.5%), especially women (29.3%), were much more likely to eat fruit and vegetables five or more times a day than younger adults aged 18 to 34 years (17.6%).
Just over one in four women (25.8%) had fruit and vegetables five or more times a day in 2023, compared with less than one in five men (17.3%).
Among racialized groups, the share of Canadians eating fruit and vegetables five or more times a day ranged from 14.0% for West Asian Canadians to 19.9% for Chinese Canadians. By way of comparison, 23.0% of the non-racialized population ate fruit and vegetables five or more times a day.
Fruit and vegetable prices are one-fifth higher compared with 2021
The fastest pace of inflation in 40 years in 2022 pushed prices up for almost everything, including fresh fruit and vegetables. Indeed, fresh fruit and vegetable prices (+19.9%) rose at a faster pace than inflation overall (+16.0%) from 2021 to 2025.
For more information:
Statistics Canada
Tel: +1 514 283 8300
Email: [email protected]
www.statcan.gc.ca
