About 90% in U.S. don’t eat enough fruits, vegetables
By Jamie Ducharme, Time
The vast majority of Americans are not eating enough fruits and vegetables, according to a report from the CDC.
The most recent edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that adults consume 1.5 to two cups of fruit per day, and two to three cups of vegetables per day. According to the CDC’s data, however, just 12.2 percent of American adults are meeting the standard for fruit, and 9.3 percent are meeting the standard for vegetables. On average, the report adds, Americans are eating fruit once per day and vegetables 1.7 times per day.
The numbers vary slightly state by state, but even the leading regions fall far short of the guidelines. People in Washington, D.C., eat the most fruit, with 15.5 percent of adults meeting the guidelines, and Alaska leads vegetable consumption with 12 percent compliance.
