U.S. Adults Fail To Reach Recommended Amount Of Fruits And Vegetables

It may not come as a surprise that most adults don't eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables each day. Across the nation, less than 15 percent are meeting the recommendations set by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC's new way of studying adults' intake of fruits and vegetables includes examining each state individually instead of getting the national average. Southern states are overwhelming falling short of their recommended daily values. In Tennessee, only seven percent of adults are eating the right amount of fruits, while in Mississippi only 5.5 percent are eating enough vegetables. California comes out on top with 17.7 percent of adults getting enough fruits and 13 percent eating enough vegetables. So how much should adults be really consuming? The Dietary Guidelines of America suggest inactive adults should consume 1.5 to 2 cups of fruits and two to three cups of vegetables each day. The more active a person is, the more they should be increasing these amounts.