Help Take Pressure Off NZ’s Health System By Making This Smart Choice

AUCKLAND,  28th May 2025: Keep your energy levels up and winter bugs at bay this winter by embracing nature’s own medicine – fresh seasonal produce.

5+ A Day Charitable Trust’s new Winter Produce Promotion highlights easy ways New Zealanders can help look after their own health by choosing to eat more in-season fruit and vegetables.  

Oranges, lemons, kiwifruit, tamarillos, cabbage and broccoli are in their prime during winter and are all a good source of vitamin C which is crucial for immune support at this time of year. Meanwhile, winter root vegetables like potatoes, kūmara, carrots and parsnips provide hearty, energy-dense nutrition which is ideal for warm and comforting meals on those chilly days and nights. 

With our hospitals and GP services stretched to their limits, Dr Carolyn Lister, Principal Scientist and Science Team Leader (Food & Health Information) at Plant & Food Research, and a Trustee for 5+ A Day Charitable Trust, says eating more fruit and vegetables as a preventative health measure has never been more critical. 

“Increasing our intake of fruit and vegetables is a key step to reducing the pressure on our healthcare system. Earlier this year, an international study of 45,000 people aged 50+ from 26 different European countries confirmed a direct link exists between the amount of fresh produce we regularly consume and our chances of being admitted to hospital.” 

The study*, led by Brunel University of London, found that people who regularly consumed fresh produce reduced their hospitalisation risk, recording fewer hospitalisations and shorter hospital stays. This can reduce governments’ healthcare expenditure, possibly by billions. 

The study’s researchers also pointed to a 2019 American study that found increasing fruit and vegetable consumption would prevent approximately 1.93 million cardiovascular disease events, and save US$39.7 billion (NZ$69.2 billion) in healthcare costs. 

In addition, a 2023 report** from Otago University concluded that if all New Zealanders added one more vegetable (75g) to their diet every day, it would save our health system just over $830 million over the life span of the population. 

“It’s time to start looking at your weekly grocery shop through different eyes,” Dr Lister says. “Each fruit and vegetable offers a unique combination of essential nutrients and phytochemicals to help improve your physical and mental health. Studies show the most consistent decrease in disease risk is seen when people eat a more diverse range of fresh produce.” 

Check out 5+ A Day’s Winter Produce Promotion on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok using the @5adaynz handle. The 5+ A Day website (www.5aday.co.nz) is also a great resource to check what’s in season, find recipes and get inspiration for your next meal.

ENDS