![\"are](\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2551\/3954\/files\/2_off_Coupon_26_c60a66b6-0482-4cf7-8de4-8e633a347e06_1024x1024.png?v=1700075910\")
<\/p>\n
We have heard it a million times: eat your veggies. And yet, so many of us fall short on this. And what about our children? If we as adults are struggling to fill our plates with lots of vegetables, then surely our kids aren\u2019t getting enough either.<\/p>\n
Today, we dig into this topic, focusing on America\u2019s \u201cveggie report card.\u201d We look at how many vegetables American children and adults are daily consuming, how that fares with government recommended intakes (hint: it\u2019s not enough), and what we can do\u2014as parents\u2014to increase our own veggie count \u2026 and our children\u2019s.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before we dive in, let\u2019s talk vegetables more generally first.<\/p>\n
A recent study by Biodiversity International scientists identified a total of 1,097 vegetable species cultivated worldwide. Beyond that, there are thousands of varieties.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
How do scientists classify all of these veggies?<\/h3>\n
Often, vegetables are grouped into eight main types based on which part of them is edible:\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
- \n
- Flower vegetables: plants that produce flowers commonly used for culinary purposes. While these vegetables have roots, leaves, and stems, their flowers are usually the only edible part. Cauliflower, broccoli, artichoke, caper, and loroco are the most commonly consumed vegetable flowers.<\/li>\n
- Leafy vegetables: also called greens, salad greens, or vegetable greens. These veggies are mainly grown for their leafy parts.\u00a0Well-known ones are spinach, cabbage, lettuce, bok choy, Brussels sprouts, kale, chard, and watercress.\u00a0<\/li>\n
- Tuber vegetables: veggies that grow underground on the root of a plant. Tuberous vegetables are usually high in starch and are used as a staple food in many parts of the world.\u00a0The most commonly consumed ones are potato, cassava, sweet potato, kumara, yam, taro, Jerusalem artichoke, and ulluco.\u00a0<\/li>\n
- Root vegetables: vegetables that generally grow underground and are sources of edible roots. These veggies contain carbs, starches, and sugar. Carrots, radishes, turnips, beets, horseradish, celery, turmeric, and parsnips are the most commonly consumed root vegetables.\u00a0<\/li>\n
- Bulb vegetables: plants that grow just below the ground and produce edible bulbs. Intensely aromatic, these veggies usually have many layers and, depending on the type, can be eaten raw or used to add flavor to cooked dishes.\u00a0Some of the most commonly used ones are onion, shallot, garlic, leek, spring onion, scallion, and fennel.\u00a0<\/li>\n
- Stem vegetables: plants that grow above ground and have edible stems. Asparagus, celery, chard, fennel, fiddlehead, cardoon, and bamboo shoots are the most popular stem vegetables. (There are also modified stems that can be found above and below ground, such as corms, rhizomes, and tubers.)<\/li>\n
- Fruit vegetables: certain types of plants that are botanically classified as fruits but are used as vegetables for cooking purposes. Tomato, cucumber, eggplant, squash, avocado, bitter melon, and bell pepper are all fruit vegetables.\u00a0<\/li>\n
- Pod and seed vegetables: types of vegetables that contain seeds inside a pod. Popularly known as legumes, these vegetables are a good source of protein and fiber.\u00a0Examples include peas, beans, lentils, okra, chickpea, peanut, soybean, and licorice.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"veggie](\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2551\/3954\/files\/2_off_Coupon_31_f8a844ed-06e0-4a52-9c50-aefd7edac520_600x600.png?v=1700076519\")
<\/div>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
That\u2019s one way to understand veggies. In the U.S., the USDA divides them into the following subgroups:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Dark green vegetables like broccoli, spinach, romaine, collard, turnip, and mustard greens.<\/li>\n
- Red and orange vegetables like tomatoes, red peppers, carrots, sweet potatoes, winter squash, and pumpkin.<\/li>\n
- Beans, legumes, and peas, including kidney beans, white beans, black beans, lima beans, fava beans, chickpeas, pinto beans, black-eyed peas, pigeon peas, split peas, edamame, and lentils.\u00a0<\/li>\n
- Starchy vegetables like white potatoes, corn, iceberg lettuce, onions, celery, cabbage, and green peas and beans.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Despite the great diversity of vegetables, scientists estimate that the average diet worldwide uses less than 7% of all vegetable species. In much of the developed world, for instance, people base their diets primarily on four veggies: tomatoes, potatoes, onions, and carrots.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s recap why veggies are so great exactly.<\/h2>\n
Eating vegetables provides numerous health benefits: vegetables supply nutrients vital for the health and maintenance of our bodies, and people who eat them along with fruits as part of an overall healthy diet are likely to have a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases, certain cancers, and other causes of early mortality. (This is because vegetables, like fruits, are sources of phytochemicals that function as antioxidants, phytoestrogens, and anti-inflammatory agents, all of which act as protective mechanisms in and for the body.)\u00a0<\/p>\n
Most vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories, helping people to reach and maintain healthy weights.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And among other health benefits, veggies are also an important source of many nutrients, including potassium, dietary fiber, folate, vitamin A, and vitamin C.<\/p>\n
Why does this matter?<\/strong> Well, diets rich in potassium help to maintain healthy blood pressure. Vegetable sources of potassium include sweet potatoes, white potatoes, white beans, tomato products, beet greens, soybeans, lima beans, spinach, lentils, kidney beans, acorn squash, kohlrabi, and yuca.<\/p>\n
Dietary fiber from vegetables helps to reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower the risk of heart disease.<\/p>\n
Vitamin A keeps eyes and skin healthy and helps to protect against infections.<\/p>\n
And vitamin C helps to heal cuts and wounds and keeps teeth and gums healthy. It also assists your body in absorbing iron more easily.<\/p>\n
![\"why](\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2551\/3954\/files\/2_off_Coupon_33_df6a019d-2278-4877-8578-3f52dee7660e_600x600.png?v=1700076561\")
<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
OK, so how many vegetables are U.S. adults and children eating?<\/h3>\n
In short, not enough. Almost 90% of the U.S. population, including babies and toddlers, does not meet the recommended intake for vegetables.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Only 10% and 15% of boys and girls aged 1\u20133 years, respectively, consume the recommended 1 cup of vegetables per day.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For children aged 4\u20138 years, less than 5% consume the recommended 1.5\u20132 cups of vegetables per day. Instead, this age group, on average, eats around half of the amount of vegetables recommended.<\/p>\n
According to data from the 2021 National Survey of Children\u2019s Health, a study of over 18,000 young children in the U.S., many are not consuming fruits and vegetables daily and instead drink sugar-sweetened beverages regularly. One in three children (32%) aged 1-5 years did not eat a daily fruit, 49% did not eat a daily vegetable, and 57% drank a sugar-sweetened drink at least once in the previous week.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
(Estimates of veggie consumption in this study varied by state, and states with higher poverty rates had worse outcomes: 16% of children in Vermont did not eat fruit daily compared with about 50% in Louisiana, a state with higher poverty. 30% of children in Vermont did not eat a daily vegetable compared with 64% in Louisiana. Overall, in 20 states, more than half of children did not eat a vegetable daily during the week that was analyzed.)<\/p>\n
Vegetable consumption among U.S. children is lowest in boys aged 9\u201313 years and girls aged 14\u201318 years. Less than 1% of this population consumes the recommended 2\u20132.5 cups per day. Instead, on average they consume less than 50% of the recommended amount.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Across the U.S., veggie intake increases slightly with age, once children become adults, but it still remains quite low.\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"what](\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2551\/3954\/files\/2_off_Coupon_34_e620e62b-8ce9-4899-bb93-dd3ccd2e9f19_600x600.png?v=1700076658\")
<\/div>\nKnowing this, what are the (few) veggies Americans are consuming?<\/h3>\n
White potatoes, the most commonly consumed vegetable in the U.S., make up about 80% of starchy vegetable consumption and 21% of all vegetable consumption. Aside from potatoes, tomatoes account for another 18% of total vegetable consumption in the U.S. Lettuce and onions are two other big ones, making up more than 5% each of total American vegetable consumption.<\/p>\n
When Americans do consume vegetables, almost half (45%) are eaten as a distinct dish. About 40% are eaten as part of a mixed dish (like a stir-fry or a sandwich). The remainder are consumed as snack foods and condiments.<\/p>\n
Most Americans consume vegetables with additional sodium from salt and sauces added during cooking.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Why are average American intakes of veggies so low?\u00a0<\/h3>\n
Well, as the 2021 National Survey of Children\u2019s Health revealed with its state-by-state disparities, vegetables are under consumed in part because of cost and accessibility. Families of lower incomes often struggle to prioritize buying veggies and fruits over cheap processed foods. Relatedly, many families of lower incomes live in \u201cfood deserts\u201c where grocery stores, farmers\u2018 markets, and other food shops are either nonexistent or offer a very limited supply of fresh produce.<\/p>\n
For many families, there\u2019s also the time factor. In many people\u2019s experiences, it takes longer to prepare veggies and fruits versus processed foods.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Many parents also believe that when they buy veggies and fruits, their children are unlikely to eat them, so they\u2019re just wasting money on foods that will end up in the garbage can (and will cause a meltdown at the dinner table).<\/p>\n
Parents are also less likely to offer vegetables that they personally dislike to their children.<\/p>\n
(For global context, current fruit and vegetable intakes are well below recommendations across many countries. In response to this, more than 100 countries have developed food-based dietary guidelines that encourage increased fruit and vegetable consumption. Still, for a developed country like the U.S. to have such poor vegetable intake\u2014we have much less of an excuse than most parts of the world.)<\/p>\n
![\"how](\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2551\/3954\/files\/2_off_Coupon_32_28ff2455-bbed-45e3-9993-a46da710b28c_600x600.png?v=1700076695\")
<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
What are the most recent American Dietary Guidelines for vegetable intake?<\/h3>\n
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2551\/3954\/files\/2_off_Coupon_35_fbf1bc8e-651b-4163-86db-649c878d1d7c_480x480.png?v=1700076863\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2551\/3954\/files\/AMARA-PHOTO-APPLE_1_480x480.jpg?v=1671158004\")
<\/p>\n