America’s Fruit and Vegatable Deficiancy

A recent CDC report highlights the lack of fruits and vegetables in American diets. The report offers brand new data with State by State breakdown of fruit and vegetable consumption. Using a standard of 2+ fruits and 3+ vegetables daily, Washington State’s consumption for adults is at 15.1% meeting that requirement, compared to a national average of 14%.  Washington State does not have data on adolescent fruit and vegetable consumption but national trends suggest that it is significantly lower in adolescent populations.

The report goes on to present paths to augment these numbers, noting the importance of supermarkets and farmers markets, but it also indicates the necessity of networks like PSFN:

A systems approach to food considers the many factors involved in getting F&V from farm to consumer including aspects of food production, processing, distribution, and retail…These [systems] can aid community F&V access by encouraging improvement of retail stores, supporting farm to institute programs, and designing model procurement policies and practices for schools, work sites, and other community organizations.

Read the full report here.