The NutriQuébec 2026 Report Is Now Available
In January, the NutriQuébec team released initial findings on the intake of fruits and vegetables, sodium, saturated fat, and sugar among Québec adults. This first NutriQuébec 2026 Report, released today, goes further by identifying the main food sources of these nutrients, the most commonly consumed fruits and vegetables, as well as meal habits among Québecers. The data are based on information provided by nearly 7,000 participants who reported more than 26,000 meals over the past several years. These data provide unprecedented insight into eating habits in Québec and help guide reflections on public health actions better adapted to the Québec context.
View the NutriQuébec 2026 report (In french only)
In the plates of Quebec adults, from morning to night
The foods most frequently consumed vary depending on the meals of the day and snacks.
- Breakfast for many Quebecers consists of toast, peanut butter, eggs, and bananas.
- The four most commonly consumed snacks are, in order: apples, chips, cheese, and bananas.
- “Convenience” foods appear at dinner, such as pizza, which is frequently reported.
- Cheese stands out for its recurring presence at nearly every meal.
“These novel data on what is found in Québecers’ plates are not surprising. The prominent role of cheese and the typical breakfast including toast, peanut butter, and banana are essentially cultural signatures of the Québec diet,” explains Benoît Lamarche, lead researcher for NutriQuébec and Director of the NUTRISS Centre at INAF, Université Laval.
“This report also helps better understand eating contexts in order to design actions that are adapted to everyday realities. For example, fruits are mainly consumed at breakfast and as snacks, while vegetables are more often incorporated into composite dishes at lunch and dinner,” adds Benoît Lamarche.
Most frequently consumed fruits and vegetables
The NutriQuébec report identifies the fruits and vegetables most frequently consumed by adults in Québec. Among them:
- Berries rank first among the most consumed fruits, followed by bananas and then apples.
- For vegetables, onions rank first, followed by tomatoes and then carrots.
“It is interesting to note that, with the exception of bananas, the most frequently consumed fruits and vegetables can all be produced locally,” notes Benoît Lamarche.
Where are sodium, saturated fat, and free sugars hiding?
The data show that total intake of sodium, saturated fat, and free sugars among Quebec adults comes from foods that are frequently consumed on a daily basis:
- Seasonings, condiments and sauces, breads, and cheeses account for nearly 50% of sodium intake.
- Cheeses stand out as the main source of saturated fat (25%).
- Sweet products (sugar, jam, candy, chocolate, muffins, cookies, and other pastries), as well as sugary beverages—including fruit juices—account for more than 60% of free sugar intake.
"These results indicate that acting on a limited number of food categories—particularly by reducing their sodium, saturated fat, and free sugar content, when possible—could have a significant impact at the population level,” explains Benoît Lamarche, lead researcher for NutriQuébec and director of the NUTRISS Centre at Université Laval.
NutriQuébec invites Quebecers to participate in the study
NutriQuébec is recruiting new participants in order to better represent the entire Quebec population, particularly across different regions. Every participation helps enrich the cohort and contributes to an even more accurate portrait of the eating habits of Quebecers—for the benefit of the entire population.