Americans resist push to eat vegetables

The U.S. government and vegetable producers are pushing Americans to eat more veggies, but it isn’t working: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released a study finding that only 26 per cent of U.S. adults eat vegetables three or more times a day, the New York Times reports, falling far short of federal health objectives set 10 years ago. Only 23 per cent of meals include a vegetable, it said, and the number of dinners prepared at home that include a salad has fallen to 17 per cent, from 22 per cent in 1994. Meanwhile, sales of convenience vegetables (like pre-packaged broccoli) are growing as the food industry tries to make it easier to eat vegetables. But it seems that people aren’t eating more vegetables as a result; they’re just shifting veggie purchases to more convenient ones. The government recommends 4.5 cups of fruits and vegetables for people who eat 2,000 calories per day, equal to nine servings.

New York Times