Fruit and vegetable intake: issues with definition and measurement

Accurate determination of fruit and vegetable consumption is essential for research that seeks to determine current fruit and vegetable intake patterns, what type and amount of fruit and vegetable consumption is optimal for human health and for evaluating interventions developed to increase such consumption. However, there are many issues that make accurate determination of fruit and vegetable consumption quite difficult. There are many methods used to measure fruit and vegetable intake, but all have limitations. Also, what foods individuals consider to be or to not be fruits or vegetables appear to be quite variable, with such variability often associated with the individual's racial/ethnic background. Researchers and governmental agencies vary with respect to what foods they include and do not include when calculating fruit and vegetable intake. These differences make it difficult to conduct, evaluate and compare studies in this area. The current paper reviews some of the major issues with measuring and determining fruit and vegetable intake.