Majority (52%) of Canadians Disagree that they get Enough Fruit in their Diet

Toronto, ON - A majority (52%) of Canadians aged 18 to 50 disagree (15% strongly/37% somewhat) that they get enough fruit in their diet, according to a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of Motts. In fact, the deficiency may be so great in many instances that it is causing four in ten (41%) to agree that they feel guilty about the amount of fruit they get in their diet.

Perhaps many are not getting enough fruit in their diet because six in ten (61%) disagree (18% strongly/43% somewhat) that they try to closely follow Canada's Food Guide, while just 39% agree (5% strongly/34% somewhat) that they do try to closely follow the Guide.

When reflecting back on how many servings of fruit and vegetables they had the day before completing this survey ("yesterday"), the average Canadian aged 18 to 50 believes they consumed 1.8 servings of fruit (1.9 women/1.7 men) and 2.3 servings of vegetables (2.4 women/2.1 men). A combined 4.1 servings (4.3 women/3.8 men) of fruit and vegetables is well below the 5.9 servings (6.3 women/5.5 men), on average, that Canadians believe they should be consuming, according to Canada's Food Guide. Moreover, the perceived number of servings Canadians believe they should be consuming is well below Canada's Food Guide actual recommendations that women between the ages of 18 and 50 consume 7-8 servings of fruit and vegetables a day, and men should consume between 8-10 servings a day.

Despite the under-consumption of fruit among many Canadians, they say that when taking a snack during the day they are most likely to choose fruit (36%) as their snack, topping chips (22%), chocolate (20%), nuts (15%) and vegetables (6%).

While a majority of Canadians don't believe they get enough fruit in their diet, parents have given a better assessment of their children's fruit consumption: six in ten (62%) agree (25% strongly/37% somewhat) that they think their children get enough fruit in their diet but four in ten (38%) still disagree that they get enough, and three in ten (31%) agree that they feel guilty about the amount of fruit their children get in their diet.

While 45% of Canadians say they don't have any barriers or challenges to eating fruit or more fruit, a majority (55%) did identify some hindrance, including being bored with their options and limited seasonal selection (19%), being too busy and needing something easy on the go (14%), that it's too much effort to prepare (10%), that they don't like fruit (6%), that it's too messy (5%) or some other reason (18%).

Perhaps in an effort to eat both a balanced diet and keep things exciting, eight in ten (78%) agree that they like to mix things up at home and try new things to cook and eat. However, seven in ten (68%) agree (15% strongly/53% somewhat) that they usually cook something that is fast and easy at home, and, perhaps as a result, four in ten (39%) agree that their mealtime routine is boring - same old, same old.

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted between February 3 and 8, 2010, on behalf of Motts. For this survey, a national sample of 1,018 adults aged 18 to 50 from Ipsos' Canadian online panel was interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. A survey with an unweighted probability sample of this size and a 100% response rate would have an estimated margin of error of +/-3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what the results would have been had the entire population of adults in Canada been polled. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

Quebecers Most Likely to Choose Fruit as Snack...

While 36% of Canadians say they are most likely to choose fruit as a snack during the day, some Canadians are more likely than others to do so:

• Quebecers (41%) are the most likely, followed by those living in Atlantic Canada (40%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (39%), Ontario (35%), Alberta (35%) and British Columbia (31%).
• Interestingly, British Columbians were twice as likely as Canadians in every other province to choose nuts (28%) as their preferred snack.
• Albertans (28%), Ontarians (26%) and Atlantic Canadians (24%) are more likely than their counterparts in Saskatchewan and Manitoba (19%), British Columbia (17%) and Quebec (17%) to say that chips are their most likely snack during the day.

Canadians in all Province Not Getting Enough Fruit and Veggies...

Canadians are not getting enough fruit and vegetables in their diet, and they know it:

• Quebecers claim they had the most fruit yesterday on average (2 servings), followed by those living in Atlantic Canada (1.9), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (1.8), British Columbia (1.7), Ontario (1.7) and Alberta (1.6).
• Quebecers (2.6) and Atlantic Canadians (2.6) also claim to have had more vegetables servings yesterday than those in British Columbia (2.3), Alberta (2.2), Ontario (2.1) and Saskatchewan and Manitoba (2.0).
• When thinking about Canada's Food Guide, Quebecers believe that Canadians should get 6.2 servings of fruit and vegetables, above the 5.9 servings that residents from Western Canada, Ontario (5.8) and Atlantic Canada (5.6) believe Canadians should consume.
• Albertans (57%) are most likely to disagree that they get enough fruit in their diet, while those living in Ontario (55%), Atlantic Canada (53%), British Columbia (51%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (50%), and Quebec (46%) are less likely to disagree.
• Albertans (45%) are most likely to feel guilty about the amount of fruit they get in their diet, followed by Canadians in Ontario (43%), British Columbia (43%), Atlantic Canada (40%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (38%) and Quebec (36%).

Canadians Vary in Degree to Which They Try to Follow Food Guide...

While four in ten (39%) Canadians agree that they try to closely follow Canada's Food Guide, some are more likely than others to put in a greater effort:

• One half (50%) of Quebecers agree that they try to closely follow the Food Guide, while fewer residents of Atlantic Canada (40%), Ontario (37%), Alberta (35%), British Columbia (33%) and Saskatchewan and Manitoba (32%) say they make the effort.
• Perhaps as a result of not following the Food Guide, Atlantic Canadians (47%), Ontarians (43%) and Albertans (41%) are most likely to say that their mealtime routine is boring - same old same old - while those in British Columbia (35%), Quebec (32%) and Saskatchewan and Manitoba (30%) are less likely to say their mealtime routine is boring.

For more information on this news release, please contact:
Sean Simpson
Senior Research Manager
Ipsos Reid Public Affairs
(416) 572-4474
[email protected]

About Ipsos Reid

Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

To learn more, please visit www.ipsos.ca .

About Ipsos

Ipsos is a leading global survey-based market research company, owned and managed by research professionals. Ipsos helps interpret, simulate, and anticipate the needs and responses of consumers, customers, and citizens around the world.

Member companies assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media. They measure public opinion around the globe. Ipsos member companies offer expertise in advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, and public affairs research, as well as forecasting, modeling, and consulting. Ipsos has a full line of custom, syndicated, omnibus, panel, and online research products and services, guided by industry experts and bolstered by advanced analytics and methodologies. The company was founded in 1975 and has been publicly traded since 1999. In 2009, Ipsos generated global revenues of e943.7 million ($1.33 billion U.S.). .

Visit www.ipsos-na.com to learn more about Ipsos offerings and capabilities.

Ipsos, listed on the Eurolist of Euronext - Comp B, is part of SBF 120 and the Mid-100 Index, adheres to the Next Prime segment and is eligible to the Deferred Settlement System. Isin FR0000073298, Reuters ISOS.PA, Bloomberg IPS:FP