Nearly a quarter (23%) of people over 60 said they did not eat as much fresh fruit and veg as they could because they lived alone and the produce went off before they could eat it, with another 22% not being confident enough in their cooking ability to use certain produce.
Almost one in five (19%) said that fresh fruit and veg was simply too expensive, with a quarter (25%) admitting they eat frozen meals at least twice a week, according to a survey for the home appliance manufacturer brand NEFF by Atomik Research.
Linda Robson, who is 60 and part of Lose Women and Birds of Feather, said: “This survey shows that the elderly in Britain are the forgotten generation when it comes to spreading the word about eating five portions of fresh fruit and vegetables a day.
“It is just as important for the over-60s to eat healthily as it is for any other generation.
“We can all play our part in helping our older relatives and neighbours stay healthy by visiting them every now and again and making sure they are eating well – and maybe even cooking with them.”
The survey found that people aged 65-70 were least likely (75%) to go without their five-a-day on a daily basis but for the over 80s nearly nine in ten (89%) were not getting the recommended amount of fresh produce every day.
Londoners aged over 60 said they were most likely (59%) to eat their daily allowance compared to the majority (91%) of those in the West Midlands.
Seven in ten (71%) of those surveyed said they enjoyed cooking, with two-thirds (64%) of those saying they like to know what they are eating and half (50%) saying they enjoy cooking for others.
Half (53%) of those surveyed said they loved cooking with their family and 41% said they wished they could do it more, with 52% saying they enjoyed passing family recipes down through the generations.
Just over half (53%) said they had a repertoire of more than 10 recipes to draw on when cooking for their family and a quarter (25%) said they knew more than 20.
And a third (34%) of over-60s said they liked passing on tips about recipes and family favourites – but only 17% said their advice was always heeded! However, one in five (22%) say they cannot see the point in cooking as they live alone.