As of: February 8, 2024, 12:30 p.m
By: Anne Hund
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According to an association, the consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables is declining.
What can consumers pay attention to when shopping to make it a little cheaper?
According to the German Fruit Trade Association, consumers are increasingly saving money on fresh fruit and vegetables in view of the increased cost of living.
“Private household consumption has fallen in recent months,” said association managing director Andreas Brügger to the German Press Agency.
“People have less money in their wallets – and then they save money on food – and would rather spend money on other things than on fresh food.”
In an EU comparison, Germans are significantly below average when it comes to consuming fresh fruit and vegetables.
With an average of 287 grams, Germans are far away from the World Health Organization's recommendation of consuming 400 grams of fruit and vegetables daily.
Association: Consumers save on fresh fruit and vegetables
According to a statistics handbook for the Fruit Logistica trade fair, 5.2 million tonnes of fruit and vegetables were harvested in Germany last year.
According to Brügger, around two thirds of the fresh fruit and vegetables in German shops are imports from other countries.
Last year, 17.44 million tons of fruit and vegetables were harvested in Italy, and 21.596 million tons in Spain.
Tips on how you can save a little when buying fruit and vegetables
The increased food prices continue to cause problems for many people.
How can you save a little here or there when buying fruit and vegetables?
When shopping, the consumer advice center recommends always comparing the prices per kilo, i.e. the basic prices in small print on the shelves.
This is the easiest way to compare prices.
“Supermarkets and discounters usually offer reduced prices on food that only has a short shelf life,” the consumer advice center also explains.
When it comes to fruit and vegetables, origin and season also play an important role.
“Vegetables and fruits that are in season and native to the region are often cheaper because they do not have to be transported far and have to be laboriously cooled,” according to the information on
consumer headquarters.de
(as of January 24th).
Tip: The consumer advice center's seasonal calendar provides guidance on when which vegetables and fruits are in season.
Shopping at the weekly market can also be cheaper than in the supermarket, “especially shortly before the end of the market day,” according to the consumer advice center.
If you shop shortly before the end of the market day, you can sometimes save some money.
(Archive image/symbolic image) © Sina Schuldt/dpa
Purchasing: What types of regionally produced vegetables are available in winter?
The Federal Center for Nutrition also has a seasonal calendar.
When it comes to fruit, “actually only apples from local cultivation are available all year round,” says an online article by
WDR
.
Pears and strawberries have the shortest breaks in availability of local fruit varieties at four and three months respectively.
Vegetables such as chicory, lamb's lettuce, carrots, leeks, radishes, beetroot, white cabbage and onions are available for twelve months.
In other words, even in winter.
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Saving tip: Cooking yourself is often cheaper
If you cook yourself or even have the time to cook ahead of time, you can often save something.
“Preparing meals yourself, even to take away, is usually cheaper than ready meals, delivery services or to-go purchases,” writes the consumer advice center.
It might also be worth sharing large nets or packs of potatoes or carrots with others if you can't or don't want to use everything in the household straight away.
(With material from dpa)