Southern European cuisines are renowned for their tasty, healthy menus, featuring low fat consumption and a large share of vegetables.
Elsevier Food International, Vol. 4, Number 1, February 2001

Looking at 1998 per capita consumption data, Spain, Portugal, Italy and predominantly Greece confirm this reputation. Greek people eat by far the largest amount of vegetables, almost half of which are tomatoes. Only these four countries are above EU average when it comes to the share tomatoes take in their vegetable consumption. Belgium is the most Mediterranean of the Western European countries, with an impressive 137.4 kilos of vegetable consumption, of which tomatoes have a 23 per cent share. On the other hand, Finland Sweden, Germany and Ireland are the countries with the lowest per capita consumption of vegetables.
From a global perspective, Europe and Asia are the dominant regions when it comes to vegetable consumption, with tomatoes in the latter region accounting for just a nine per cent share. North and Central America and Australia and New Zealand are on the world's average.
South Americans though, are least fond of vegetables. With a figure of only 44.4 kilograms, the average consumer eats 4.4 kilos less than the average African consumer.