Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the average daily consumption of wholegrains in (a) adults, (b) teenagers and (c) children.

Public Health England has not made an assessment of average daily consumption of wholegrains. There is no agreed definition for the term wholegrain and no specific recommendation for wholegrain consumption in the United Kingdom.

Government dietary advice, as depicted by the Eatwell Guide, is that people should choose whole grain or higher fibre versions of starchy carbohydrates wherever possible.

Fibre intake is assessed by the National Diet and Nutrition Survey. Latest data for the period 2016/17 to 2018/19 shows that mean fibre intakes were below recommendations in all age groups. Nine percent of adults, four percent of children aged 11 to 18 years and 14% of children aged 4 to 10 years met the recommendation for fibre intake.