US Adolescent and Adult Fruit and Vegetable Intake at MyPyramid Caloric Requirement Levels among a National Sample

Background: Fruit (F) and vegetable (V) intake is associated with reduced risk for chronic disease and improved weight management. Objectives: Determine the % of adolescents and adults meeting F and V recommendations based on MyPyramid caloric requirements and identify primary contributors to overall intake. Design: 2‐day 24 hour recall data (n=5,576) was examined from the nationally representative cross‐sectional 2003–04 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. All dietary sources were included. Results: 0.9% of adolescents and 2.9% of adults met their caloric specific recommendations for F and V. Increased recommendations due to increased caloric requirements were not paralleled by increases in consumption. Whole F were the primary contributors to adult intake, while F juices were the primary contributor to adolescent intake. The largest contributor to F intake was orange juice. Potatoes dominated V consumption, particularly among adolescents where fried potatoes accounted for over half the median intake. Dark green and orange V and legumes account for a small portion of V intake. Conclusions: Increasing consumption of F and V will require multifaceted approaches that augment educational campaigns with policy and environmental strategies aimed at the food system. Ultimately, the goal is to increase American's consumption of F and V by making the healthy choice the easy choice.