There is widespread confusion among both children and adults about which foods do and do not contain towards your five a day or provide fibre and protein, according to the findings.
Twenty-four per cent of children surveyed aged between seven and 11 think that chicken counts towards your five a day, while 19 percent think that cheese counts.
The BNF carried out surveys with 1,590 primary pupils (age seven and above) and 2,415 secondary pupils. An online survey of 2,099 adults was carried out by YouGov.
Primary school children completed the survey with the support of their teachers, who would have been able to answer any questions and clarify any terminology used in the survey questions. Children were not specifically asked if they know what 'five a day' means.
The survey also shows that many people do not currently eat, or have never tried, a range of plant foods, such as beans and lentils, which provide essential nutrients like protein and fibre.
One third of adults and more than half (55 percent) of schoolchildren reported that they have never tried lentils, one third of adults and 46 percent of schoolchildren have never tried chickpeas and over a quarter (28 percent) of adults and 48 percent of children have never tried kidney beans.
Sara Stanner, science director at British Nutrition Foundation, said, ‘Government advice is for us all to eat more plant-based foods because they’re good for us and for the environment.
‘It is concerning that there is confusion across the UK about the nutritional contents of some common foods, including plant-based foods. Lack of knowledge means people are less empowered to make informed choices, and achieving a healthy diet, with a good balance of the right types of foods, is more difficult if you don’t know which key nutrients the foods that we eat provide.’
She added, ‘From varying our protein sources, to increasing our fibre intake, to reducing food waste, there’s a wide range of ways people in the UK can adjust their eating habits for the benefit of themselves and the planet.’
The BNF said eating plenty of fibre as part of a healthy, balanced diet is linked to a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer, and choosing fibre-rich foods may also help you to feel fuller for longer, which can help support weight management.
However, most people in the UK do not get enough fibre - adults are recommended to have 30g of fibre each day, but are currently only eating 19.7g on average.
Seventy percent of adults, 70 percent of primary schoolchildren and 91 percent of secondary schoolchildren correctly say that chicken provides protein, but only half of all adults, 46 percent of older children and 29 percent of younger children think that chickpeas are a source of protein. This is despite the fact that canned chickpeas are a rich source of protein, with an average adult portion providing around a fifth of the average adult’s recommended intake per day (45g for females and 56g for males).
Stanner added, ‘Pulses, such as chickpeas, kidney beans and lentils, are all great sources of fibre and provide protein. They also have a low environmental impact and are relatively cheap to buy and cook. One portion of pulses even counts towards your five a day, yet their nutritional value is often underestimated, and many people do not even think to eat them.’
Now in its 10th year, the British Nutrition Foundation’s Healthy Eating Week (13-17 June) provides a series of daily challenges for children and adults linked to the theme ‘Eat well for you and the planet’, which aims to raise awareness about healthier and more sustainable diets and empower people to make positive changes.
‘This Healthy Eating Week, we hope participants will be able to get involved in our challenges, learn something new about healthier and more sustainable eating and develop new ways to improve their diets,’ added Stanner.
- Register for Healthy Eating Week here to access early years resources will be available from this week.