Nutritional recommendations do not want to remain in the minds of all Finns. Do you remember how much vegetables you should eat every day?
In the photo, the restaurant Kappel’s lunch table. Joel Maisalmi
Haste and lack of ease. There are two reasons that prevent Finns from following the national nutritional recommendations announced in 2024. These two things especially affect the amount of vegetables eaten.
A recent vegetable barometer commissioned by Fres Servant shows that 58 percent of Finns say they have increased their vegetable consumption.
– The positive change is clear. 18 percent of Finns have added vegetables a lot and permanently, and 40 percent a little, but permanently, says the CEO of Fresh Servant Sami Haapasalmi in the bulletin.
The release states that 35-44-year-olds, who typically have children at home, are the most inactive age group when it comes to dietary changes. 29 percent of families with children do not remember anything about nutritional recommendations, and a good quarter have not added vegetables at all.
A year ago, 72 percent of Finns remembered the daily recommendation of 500–800 grams of vegetables. Now a little more than half remember it. It is still the best-remembered single nutritional recommendation. 44 percent of Finns remember the recommendation to avoid meat products, such as cold cuts and sausages, and 42 percent of the recommendation to limit red meat.
People over 65 remembered the recommendations best. 65 percent of pensioners have added vegetables. One in four has permanently reduced meat products.
The release states that well over half of Finns cannot estimate in grams how many vegetables they eat every day. Only 13 percent of Finns know that they eat the recommended 500–800 grams of vegetables per day.
– Few people understand gram amounts in everyday life, and it’s not worth making it too difficult. What is more important is how the plate looks and whether there are tomatoes, carrots or even a bag of salad ready in the fridge, Haapasalmi says in the press release.
The vegetable barometer 2026 commissioned by Fresh Servant was carried out in January 2026. A similar survey was also commissioned a year earlier, in January 2025. The surveys were carried out by Bilendi Oy in the M3 panel and 1,000 Finns answered them.