Not enough fruits and vegetables, too much oil, sugar and sugary drinks : these are the salient features of Reunionese eating habits, according to a study by INSEE and the Regional Health Agency based on 2017 figures. That year, Reunionese households spent on average 330 euros per month on their food shopping. This amount is stable compared to 2011, while spending on out-of-home catering increases significantly. “Certain eating habits of Reunion Islanders are going in the right direction with regard to nutritional recommendations, others don’t”, according to the study. Vegetables and fruits remain very little consumed,particularly by the most modest : only 9% of Reunion Islanders eat five portions of fruit and vegetables per day. Sugar, sugary drinks and oil are significantly more consumed than in France. Rice remains the basis of the diet, particularly of the most modest, but its consumption is declining. Dried vegetables accompanying curries, recommended by nutritionists, are four times more consumed than in France. The meat, that it is recommended to limit, is also a little more consumed on the island, but poultry is favored over beef. otherwise, ultra-processed products, that the recommendations aim to limit, gain ground : 19% of quantities consumed in 2017 compared to 16% in 2011 and 35% of the food budget.
Reunion still eats too much fat and too much sugar
