Fruit and vegetable consumption of U.S. Youth, 2009-2010

Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2009-2010. More than three-quarters of youth aged 2-19 years (77.1%) consumed fruit on a given day. Almost 92% of youth aged 2-19 years consumed vegetables on a given day. Nine out of 10 children aged 2-5 years consumed fruit, while only 6 out of 10 adolescents consumed fruit on a given day. More children aged 2-5 years than adolescents consumed vegetables on a given day. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), 2010 encourage Americans, including youth, to increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables. Individuals are encouraged to "eat a variety of vegetables, especially dark-green and red and orange vegetables." Fruits and vegetables are sources of many under-consumed nutrients and consuming fruits and vegetables is associated with a decreased risk of chronic disease (1-3). This report examines the percentage of youth aged 2-19 years who consumed fruits and vegetables on a given day in 2009-2010, using data from one 24-hour dietary recall interview.