Only about one in five people are eating the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables per day and young children are eating even less, new research has found.
Eating five portions of fruit and vegetables every day is internationally accepted as very beneficial and is a target of the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Martin Higgins, the chief executive of Safefood, the agency charged with promoting healthy eating and which conducted the survey, said the findings were worrying, especially as Ireland was so out of step with its European counterparts.
"Fruit and vegetables are highly nutritious and an essential part of the diet," said Mr Higgins.
"They can help maintain a healthy weight and are associated with a decreased risk of chronic disease such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, osteoporosis and type II diabetes."
The research also found there was a number of barriers to buying and consuming fruit and vegetables and concerns over quality and shelf life.
Cliodhna Foley Nolan, director of human health and nutrition at Safefood, conceded it was a challenge to encourage people to eat more fruit and vegetables, but said people could fit them into their daily lives.
"Move up incrementally," she said. "If you are currently eating one piece of fruit and vegetables a day, then move up to two."
She said the problem with convincing people to eat fruit and vegetables was that they would not die by not eating them. However, there were longer term benefits in helping to protect against diseases such as diabetes and cancer.
The survey also found that consumers felt little concern regarding the potential health risks from chemical and microbiological contamination (i.e. infectious diseases) of fruit and vegetables.
Ms Foley Nolan said relative to meat, dairy products etc, there was a low risk of infection from fruit and vegetables. Particularly vulnerable vegetables are imported - beansprouts, raspberries, strawberries and some lettuce, she said.
"However, on a scale of risk, these are relatively low risk," she said, adding that all properly cooked vegetables were safe.
Potatoes were excluded from the study because they are classed as a "breads, cereals and potatoes" food group, due to their high starch content and because they are not consumed raw.