Fruit & Veggie Consumption
Are You Eating Enough?
- Nutrition
- »
- Personal Nutrition
- »
- Fruit & Veggie Consumption
How much fruit should you consume each day?
According to the USDA Choose My Plate, you should strive for 3-4 servings of fruit per day.
What Does a Serving of Fruit Look Like?
One serving of fruit can take many shapes a sizes. Follow the guidelines below to help understand what a single serving of fruit should look like:
1 Medium sized piece of fruit. About the size of your fist.
1/2 cup of frozen, canned, or fresh fruit.
1/4 cup of dried fruit.
1/4 cup of fruit juice.
How Often DO People Eat Fruit?
But it appears that both adults and adolescents do not consume fruit as often as they should! The maps below show the percent of adults and adolescents that consume fruit less than once a day.
How Often Should People Eat Vegetables?
How many vegetables should you consume each day?
According to the USDA Choose My Plate, you should strive for 5-9 servings of vegetables per day.
What Does a Serving of Vegetables Look Like?
While 5-9 servings of vegetables may seem like a lot, it’s not as difficult to eat that many as you may think! There are several different forms in which a serving a vegetables may come in:
1/2 cup of cooked, dried, or canned vegetables
1 cup of leafy greens
1/2 of a medium sized starchy vegetable (potatoes, sweet potato, taro, cassava)
1 medium sized piece, like a medium tomato
How Often DO People Eat Vegetables?
Do you eat enough vegetables each day? Many Americans do not consume as many servings of vegetables as the should; in fact, the graphs below show the percent of both adults and adolescents that consume vegetables less than once a day!
Why Should I Eat Fruits & Vegetables?
Encorporating more fruits and vegetables into your diet can help you stay healthier in a lot of different ways. To name just a few:
- It can help reduce your risk of heart disease.
- It helps you maintain a healthy weight.
- It helps regulate your intestines and colon.
- It provides many of the necessary nutrients for your body to thrive.
How Can I Eat More Fruits & Veggies?
Eating 3-4 servings of fruits each day and 5-9 servings of vegetables on top of that can seem a bit overwhelming!
Don’t worry too much about getting the exact amount into your diet, instead just start by adding more to your diet. Try including 1-2 servings in each meal you eat. If you add a few more servings here and there it will only help you reach those goal daily servings.
Want Even More Healthy Tips & Help?
Sign up to work with a coach today and get all kinds of healthy tips and tricks! We have three different training options to help provide one that works for you; individual training, group training, and even virtual training.
Data is from the year 2017 on the site nccd.cdc.gov
