Americans are not eating their fruits and veggies

We’re not listening to mom when she pleads to “eat your veggies.” Despite government campaigns and slogans, a study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine shows there has been a small decrease in veggie intake and no improvement in Americans’ fruit consumption.

The study compared dietary survey data from almost 15,000 adults during 1988 to 1994 with a later survey from 8,900 adults during 1999 to 2002. The results for the average American are sobering:

• only 28 percent meet USDA guidelines for fruits
• only 32 percent meet USDA guidelines for veggies
• less than 11 percent meet USDA guidelines for both fruits and veggies
• 62 percent did not consume any whole fruit servings
• 25 percent reported eating no daily vegetable servings

Practically all the disease-preventing antioxidants in our diet come from fruits, veggies and whole grains. Besides being nutritionally rich, fruits and veggies are also low in calories. Unfortunately, the refined processed-foods that are so pervasive not only are nutritionally poor but also calorically dense. Little wonder that we are witnessing an epidemic of obesity and chronic diseases in this country.

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