ZAGREB, April 7, 2018 – Croatia is at the bottom of European Union rankings on fish consumption and ranks somewhere in the middle on meat consumption, while a national survey of eating habits shows that Croatians eat more carbohydrates than recommended, a press conference was told in the eastern city of Osijek.
The national survey was carried out by the Croatian Food Agency on a sample of 2,000 people aged 18-64 from all areas of the country. It revealed that women consume 53 percent of carbohydrates and men 49 percent, while the recommended intake of energy-giving nutrients is 30 percent.
The survey showed that protein and fat intakes are also higher than recommended, but the cause for concern is the choice of food as their source since pork was found to be the most frequent source of protein and plant oils and animal fats were the most frequent sources of fat, survey manager Darja Sokolić said. She added it was necessary to increase consumer awareness in food selection in order to increase consumption of fish and good fats.
The survey also revealed that about 4.6 percent of Croatians opt for vegetarian, vegan or other special diets, which is in accordance with the European average, while as many as 22 percent of people never have a hot meal when eating out.
Noting that eating habits are affected by several factors, including income, Sokolić said that one in six people in Croatia are at risk of poverty, which reduces the range of food they can afford. She said that, in designing future recommendations, food prices and access to certain foods should also be taken into account.
The purpose of the survey was to assess risks from food. The results will be used by nutritionists and epidemiologists to assess intakes of nutrients and their impact on health. Based on these findings, it will be possible to make an assessment of the health of the nation and provide guidelines on healthy eating.
