Children who eat regularly with their families are more likely to reach their recommended daily intake of fruit and vegetables, a new study has found.

The World Health Organisation recommends that people should consume five portions of fruit and vegetables every day. These portions should be around 80g each. However, in many countries, including Ireland, the UK, the US and Australia, people are simply not eating enough of these foods.

According to scientists at the University of Leeds, the environment at home is likely to play a key role because this is where eating habits are developed. They decided to investigate this further.

They assessed the diets of over 2,000 primary school children, with an average age of eight. A scientific tool was used to assess the nutritional content of the children's diets and parents were also asked to keep a food diary, which covered eating together as a family and their own fruit and vegetable intake.

The study found that the children ate, on average, just over three-and-a-half portions of fruits and vegetables per day. However those who ate with their families the most had the highest intake.

In fact, children who always ate with their families consumed an average of 125g more fruit and vegetables than children who never ate with their families. While those who sometimes ate with their families consumed around 95g more than those who did not.

The scientists noted that parents were also a big influence. Children whose parents ate fruit and vegetables every day consumed around 88g more than children whose parents rarely or never ate fruit and vegetables.

Furthermore, intake rose by 5g for every additional type of fruit or vegetable in the house.

In a final analysis, the scientists found that children who always ate with their families usually reached their recommended five a day quota, compared to those who sometimes ate together (four-and-a-half portions) and those who never did (just over three portions).

"The results from this study illustrate a positive health message for parents, which could improve their own dietary habits and their children's. The key message is for families to eat fruit and vegetables together at a mealtime," they said.

Details of these findings are published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.