In an effort to promote the importance of healthy eating, federal health experts have published data on which Americans consume fruits and vegetables multiple times a day. Folks in Tennessee came out on top with 33% of the population eating vegetables three or more times a day, despite a major drop in Tennessee vegetable eating since 2000, when 43.5% of the residents of the state met the federal health standard. At the bottom of the vegetable rankings was South Dakota (19%).

 

When it comes to eating fresh fruit at least twice a day, the District of Columbia narrowly beat out agriculture-rich California, 40.2% to 40.1%, for top honors. Oklahomans came in dead last (18.1%).

 

Among demographic groups, both fruit and vegetable eating increased with age. Hispanics were the most likely to eat enough fruit, but least likely to eat enough vegetables.

-Noel Brinkerhoff, David Wallechinsky

 

Percentage of U.S. adults aged ≥18 years who consumed fruit two or more times per day and vegetables three or more times per day, by state (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

State-Specific Trends in Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Among Adults --- United States, 2000--2009 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)