Consumption pattern of vegetables and fruits in Andhra Pradesh South India

Abstract

The consumption pattern of vegetables and fruits by rural families of Andhra Pradesh, South India is described. The amounts of vegetables in the daily diet were found to be very low, as 90% of families surveyed did not include leafy and root vegetables. Non‐leafy vegetables were consumed daily by only 50% of the families, indicating a very low intake of vegetables and fruits compared with the recommendations of the Indian Council of Medical Research (Gopalan Ramasasbry and Balasobramian, 1968; ICMR, 1976). The survey revealed that the consumption pattern was based mainly on local as well as seasonal availability. Brinjal (egg plant: Solanum Melongena L.), ladies fingers (okra: Abermoschus Esculentus), tomato (Lycopersicum Esculentum Milt), cluster beans (Cyamopsis Tetra Gonoloba), sour greens (Hibiscus Cannabinus), amaranth (Amaranthus Gangeticus), potato (Solanum Tuberosum L.) and onion (Allium Cepa) were the most frequently consumed vegetables. Generally vegetables were not stored. The cooking methods most commonly practised were boiling vegetables with spices and/or with dhal and frying. Vegetables were preserved by sun‐drying and pickling. Banana (Musa Paradisiaca) was the only fruit consumed by majority of the families surveyed.