Too much meat, not enough dairy products: This is how Switzerland eats
People in Switzerland eat more meat than recommended, but consume too few dairy products. This is shown by the latest results from the first National Nutrition Survey menuCH.
The Swiss population consumes an average of 780 grams of meat and sausage products per week; 240 grams are recommended. At 980 grams, men eat almost twice as much meat as women (570 g). Sweets and salty foods are consumed four times as much as recommended, and fats such as butter, margarine, cream and high-fat sauces four times as much. In the menuCH survey, 77 percent of people said they had heard of the Swiss Food Pyramid and its associated dietary recommendations. The pyramid and recommendations were developed by the Swiss Nutrition Society and the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO).
Too little dairy products
However, there are also foods that the population consumes in insufficient quantities. The average consumption of vegetable oils and nuts, for example, is half the recommended amount. In the case of milk and dairy products, the Swiss population consumes two portions a day instead of three. Consumption is higher in German-speaking Switzerland than in the Italian- and French-speaking parts of the country. menuCH also shows that respondents drink an average of about1.7 liters of water, coffee and tea per day. The recommended amount is1 to 2 liters per day.
It is often eaten out
The respondents also provided information on their eating and exercise habits. Just under half (47%) of them stated that they regularly take nutritional supplements such as vitamin and mineral supplements. 71% eat out at lunch. 35% of the respondents never cook lunch; among men it is almost half (45%), among women a quarter. In the evening, on the other hand, more people stand at the stove; only every fifth person (19%) never cooks then. There are big differences between the age groups. While 35% of 65 to 75-year-olds never prepare a hot meal in the evening, 15% of 18 to 34-year-olds do. An average of 38 minutes per meal is spent on cooking.
Findings form basis for nutrition strategy
The data obtained can be used to identify particular risk groups or high-risk diets. It is also possible to estimate the intake levels of undesirable substances via food. In a next step, the results of menuCH will be helpful in the development of the Swiss Nutrition Strategy 2017 - 2024. This will allow measures to be defined to further improve the dietary habits of the Swiss population.
For menuCH, around 2000 adults from all over Switzerland were surveyed about their eating habits. The Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine at the University of Lausanne conducted this survey on behalf of the FSVO and the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH). Results on body mass index and fruit and vegetable consumption have already been published in November 2016.
