Americans are not eating enough fruits and vegetables according to a recent government report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It’s not too shocking considering the rates of obesity and obesity related deaths in our country.

Eat Your Fruits & Vegetables

The recommended dietary guidelines are for people to get a cup and a half to two cups of fruit every day and two to three cups of vegetables per day. However, three-quarters of us are not eating that much fruit and 87 percent fall short of eating enough vegetables.

The results from the data show how Americans by and large are not meeting that goal; fewer than 18 percent of adults in each state consumed enough fruit and fewer than 14 percent consumed enough vegetables.

The findings were based on response of nearly 400,000 adults from all 50 states. Rates varied by state, with all findings on the low end of the daily recommendations. Participants were asked about their consumption of whole fruits, 100 percent fruit juice, beans and vegetables over the past 30 days. French fries and other fried potato food were not considered vegetables.

The worst offenders were Mississippi with only 5.5 percent of respondents meeting the recommendations for vegetables, followed closely by Oklahoma at 5.8 percent. Tennessee was the worst state for fruit intake with only 7.5 percent of participants consuming enough fruit.

Benefits of Eating Fruits & Vegetables

It’s been proven that people who eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables, just five servings per day, reduce their risk for cancer, heart disease, stroke, type II diabetes and other conditions.

Coincidently, there’s also a study that found that people who consumed seven or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day were 42 percent less likely to die from any cause over the next eight years compared to those who ate less than one serving a day.

Mom Knows Best

The bottom line…do as your mother told you to do years ago, “Eat your vegetables (and fruit too)!” It’s proven that eating fresh produce has numerous health benefits including preventing disease and premature death.

Interested in reading more? The findings were published in the July 9 issue of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

When it comes to healthy, balanced meals, Seattle Sutton has 30 years of experience in assisting clients in reaching their weight loss goals. From traditional meals to vegetarian options, Seattle Sutton has it all!