THE amount of fruit and vegetables Scottish adults eat each day fell to its lowest level last year.

Scots consumed three portions per day on average in 2016, with consumption having ranged from 3.1 to 3.3 since 2003.

Only one in five (20 per cent) of adults who responded to the survey ate the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables the previous day, the joint lowest percentage since 2003.

More than one in 10 (12 per cent) adults had eaten no fruit or vegetables the day before, the highest level since the survey began.

Women were more likely to meet the five-a-day recommendation than men, with 22 per cent meeting the target, compared to 17 per cent of men, the lowest level recorded for the latter.

Children aged between two and 15 ate 2.8 portions of fruit and vegetables a day on average last year.

Thirteen per cent of them had eaten the recommended five portions on the previous day, while nine per cent of them had eaten none.

However the study found that adults are consuming fewer biscuits, non-diet soft drinks and more oily fish.

Health Minister Aileen Campbell said: “While the survey found a positive shift in the adult consumption of non-diet soft drinks, biscuits and oily fish, as a nation we want to go further to address unhealthy diets and increase physical activity. There is no quick fix, but we can act decisively.

“We will soon be consulting on an ambitious new strategy to improve Scotland’s diet and help address obesity.”