Vegetables, Fruit, and Whole Grains Consumption by U.S. Adults at Meals and Snacks: WWEIA, NHANES 2011‐12

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) encourages Americans to consume vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. The research objective was to estimate mean intakes of these food groups by adults 20 years and over at breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. What We Eat in America, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011‐12, day 1 dietary data were used for the study. Adults consumed 1.6 cup equivalents (eq.) of total vegetables; most of it was consumed at dinner (56%) and lunch (31%). Breakfast and snacks provided less than 8% each. The highest intakes of potatoes (0.18 cup eq.) and tomatoes (0.17 cup eq.) were reported at dinner. Mean intake of total fruit was 1.0 cup eq.: fruit juice 0.3 cup eq.; citrus, melons, and berries 0.2 cup eq.; and other fruit 0.5 cup eq. Most of the fruit juice was consumed at breakfast (42%), and as snacks (32%). Forty two percent of citrus, melons, and berries and 48% of other fruit were consumed as snacks. Adults consumed 6.6 ounce (oz.) eq. of total grains of which only 0.8 oz. eq. was whole grains. Dinner (36%) provided the highest amount of total grains followed by lunch (27%). However, breakfast provided the highest amount of whole grains (42%). The study showed that breakfast is an important source of fruit and whole grains; snacks are good sources of fruit; and dinner and lunch are good sources of vegetables and total grains, in adults' diet. Study funded by USDA, ARS.