Fruit and vegetable intake in the United States

Fruit and vegetable consumption is associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, cancer and other chronic disease. Guidelines suggest that intake be increased.

In many individuals the consumption of fruits and vegetables is poor. In the 5-a-day program (recently updated as the More Matters Program), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended a minimum of five servings of colorful fruits and vegetables per day. However, only 17% of respondents in one survey reported meeting this recommendation.

MyPyramid, the food guide of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, makes specific recommendations for fruit and vegetable intake based on an individual’s caloric requirements. Another study analyzing dietary recall data from the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found similar poor intake. Fewer than one in 10 Americans met their MyPyramid recommendations for fruit or vegetable consumption. Only 0.9% of adolescents, 2.2% of adult men and 3.5% of adult women reported consuming the recommended amounts.

This intake is even more abysmal when considering that french fries and ketchup each counted as a serving of vegetables and juice and jelly as a serving of fruit. The main fruit consumed was orange juice and the main vegetable was potatoes. Consumption of the healthiest plant foods: dark green vegetables, orange vegetables and legumes, was the lowest of all.

Poor consumption of fruits and vegetables has long-term health implications. It is a serious public health concern for which there are no easy answers. Many patients falsely reassure themselves by taking in a variety of vitamins and nutritional supplements. However, there is no pill, whether it is a dietary supplement or a prescription drug, which can make up for a poor diet and unhealthy lifestyle.

I counsel my patients to increase their intake of colorful non-starchy fruits and vegetables, legumes, whole grains and other limited or non-processed plant foods. My success has been limited at best. Fast food is convenient and less expensive. For many, the craving for processed food is impossible to ignore.

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