one in five young people cannot recognize a zucchini

The government is concerned about the diet of young people: Olivia Grégoire, Minister for Consumer Affairs, has announced that she wants to strengthen “food education among the French”, and particularly among children. According to a survey published by Harris Interactive, 60% of 15-24 year olds eat fast food at least once a month.

“Tell me what you eat, I’ll tell you who you are…“The government is concerned about the nutrition of young people. Tuesday March 5, Olivia Grégoire, Minister for Consumer Affairs, announced that she wanted to strengthen “French food education” especially with children and encourage them to eat healthier.

According to a survey* published by Harris Interactive, only 66% of 15-24 year olds regularly eat fruits and vegetables compared to 81% of the general population. They are more fans of prepared meals or fast food – almost 60% eat there at least once a month. And we could laugh about it, but they also have difficulty recognizing certain vegetables: one in five young people cannot tell the difference between a zucchini and a cucumber.

According to this survey carried out last February, 18% of the youngest respondents said they recognized a cucumber or an eggplant (2%) when presented with a photo of a zucchini. However, among older people, the error is more or less common: in the population as a whole, the proportion of people unable to recognize a zucchini in a photo reaches 11% – and one in ten confuses it with… a cucumber. Another example: cauliflower. Only 4% of 15-24 year olds surveyed did not know how to answer, compared to barely 1% for the entire population.

“Buying something ready-made costs me three euros”

Franceinfo did the test in the street outside a fast food restaurant: presenting a zucchini to several groups of young people. And the answer was not so obvious. In fact, many of them recognized “a cucumber”. However, they assure us that we also eat fruits and vegetables: “Rather in the evening”, recognizes a young girl. During dinners shared with their parents when they still live at home. It is also the latter who often do the shopping and cooking.

On the other hand, at lunchtime, between two lessons, young people like Justine and Matthieu, 19 years old, admit to choosing the easy way out. “It’s more fast food. I try to eat prepared meals for a little variety but it’s mainly fast food,” says the first. “We favor quick things because we have the lessons behind us”justifies his friend.

Rebecca and Chloé, also students, give another reason: their small budget. “When I’m outside and I want to make my salad it costs me ten euros minimum. Whereas buying something ready-made costs me three euros,” Rebecca calculates. “The menu is 10 euros with drink, main course and dessert added. It’s relatively economical”, adds Chloe. Fast food restaurants which now advertise menus at very low prices to attract more young people for just five euros.

*Survey carried out online from February 20 to 21, 2024 on a sample of 1,058 people aged 15 and over.