National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) 2019 to 2023

11 June 2025

Covering the years 2019 to 2023, the report includes interviews, dietary records and urine and blood samples to assess food and drink consumption, nutrient intake and nutritional status. It looks at age, sex, household income, the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) as well as consumption within the out-of-home sector to provide a measured overview of UK progress toward diet and nutrition objectives. Due to methodology changes, it is not possible to compare food consumption and nutrient intake from 2019 to 2023 with those from previous years.  

Key findings include: 

Out of Home Consumption 

Around 72% of participants reported eating from the out-of-home sector (including restaurants, takeaway and home delivery services) weekly. For children aged between 11 and 18, this percentage rose to 81% and for all participants who reported eating out-of-home, nearly a quarter (23%) of their calorie intake came from these eating occasions.  

Salt 

The findings from the NDNS report do not include sodium from salt that's been added by participants during cooking or at the table; to provide a better sodium indicator, a urinary sodium analysis is currently being collected and will be reported separately.  

Table 1. Top contributors of sodium   

Free Sugars 

Free sugars consumption is high, especially in children. Despite the government recommending for no more than 5% of energy come from free sugars, less than 1 in 10 children and less than 1 in 5 adults met this recommendation, with intake measuring 10.5% and 10% of total energy intake respectively. Of all participants, girls ages 11 to 18 years had the highest free sugar intake (12% of total energy).  

When looking at sugar-sweetened soft drinks specifically, children aged 11 to 18 years drank the highest amount, averaging at 124mls and reaching up to 606mls per day. 

Table 2. Recommended daily allowance, latest NDNS average consumption, and top contributors of free sugars by age group

 

Saturated Fat 

Government recommendations propose no more than 10% of energy derive from saturated fats, however findings revealed that 85% of children and 82% of adults did not meet these guidelines. 

Table 3. Top contributors of saturated fat by age group 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fibre

Approximately 96% of adults and children aged 11 to 18 years fell short of their fibre recommendation, as seen in table 4. ‘Cereals and cereal products’ made up the main source of fibre for all age groups, contributing between 43% and 50% of daily intakes, with ‘vegetables and vegetable products and dishes’ following second with 19% to 25%.  

Table 4. Recommended intake of fibre, average amount of fibre consumed, and percentage of children/adults consuming the recommended intake by age group. 

 

Fruit and Vegetables  

Across the majority of age and sex groups, there was very low compliance with the 5 a day recommendation, with only 9% of children aged 11–18 years and 17% of adults meeting the target. The methodology notes that as household income increases, as do the number of ‘5-a-day' portions of fruit and vegetables – although this increase is still minor, with a 0.3 portion per day increase reported as maximum.  

Table 5.  Number of portions consumed and percentage of children/adults consuming their 5 a day by age group  

 *As the numbers in some of the quintiles for children are less than 50 they are not included in the commentary. 

 

Responding to the report findings, Sonia Pombo, Head of Impact and Research at Action on Salt based at Queen Mary University London quoted: "These new findings are a stark reminder that the UK population is not getting the nutrition they need for good health, particularly children and those in low-income households. The persistently low intake of fruit, vegetables, and fibre, coupled with excessive consumption of free sugars and saturated fats, is setting the stage for serious public health consequences, including cardiovascular disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes. The report also exposes deep and persistent dietary inequalities, with people from more deprived communities less likely to meet nutrition recommendations. 

Strong, systemic action is urgently needed to shift diets, reduce health inequalities, and protect future generations from preventable disease." 

A full version of the report can be found on the government website.