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United States Value:
Percentage of women ages 18-44 who reported consuming two or more fruits and three or more vegetables daily
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Percentage of women ages 18-44 who reported consuming two or more fruits and three or more vegetables daily
Percentage of women ages 18-44 who reported consuming two or more fruits and three or more vegetables daily
Percentage of women ages 18-44 who reported consuming two or more fruits and three or more vegetables daily
CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
Percentage of women ages 18-44 who reported consuming two or more fruits and three or more vegetables daily
CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
US Value: 10.4%
Top State(s): Vermont: 20.4%
Bottom State(s): Oklahoma: 5.7%
Definition: Percentage of women ages 18-44 who reported consuming two or more fruits and three or more vegetables daily
Data Source and Years: CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2019
Suggested Citation: America's Health Rankings analysis of CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org, accessed 2023.
Diets high in fruits and vegetables reduce the risk of many chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease and stroke. Consuming fruits and vegetables three or more times per day lowers overall mortality risk. Roughly half of all adults in the United States suffer from one or more preventable chronic diseases related to poor diet and physical inactivity. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults consume two cups of fruits and two and a half cups of vegetables per day.
Consumption of vegetables and fruits during pregnancy may help women get essential nutrients such as vitamin A, potassium and folic acid.
Barriers to regular consumption of fruits and vegetables include cost, perceived lack of preparation time, lack of cooking knowledge and lack of access to fresh produce. In addition, some Americans live in areas known as food deserts, where access to healthy foods is limited.
Populations of women who are more likely to consume fruits and vegetables include:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers strategies for states and communities to improve access to fruits and vegetables, including:
Funding is available from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for populations that qualify as food deserts to establish healthy retail outlets. The USDA provides an interactive tool to identify food deserts at the census tract level, as well as resources for improving your diet.
Healthy People 2030 has objectives to increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables among people ages two and older.
Bazzano, Lydia A., Jiang He, Lorraine G. Ogden, Catherine M. Loria, Suma Vupputuri, Leann Myers, and Paul K. Whelton. “Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in US Adults: The First National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Epidemiologic Follow-up Study.” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 76, no. 1 (July 1, 2002): 93–99. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/76.1.93.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “State Indicator Report on Fruits and Vegetables, 2018.” Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2018. https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/downloads/fruits-vegetables/2018/2018-fruit-vegetable-report-508.pdf.
———. “Strategies to Prevent Obesity and Other Chronic Diseases: The CDC Guide to Strategies to Increase the Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables.” Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2011. https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/21639.
Dutko, Paula, Michele Ver Ploeg, and Tracey Farrigan. “Characteristics and Influential Factors of Food Deserts.” Washington, D.C.: United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, August 2012. https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/45014/30940_err140.pdf.
Lee-Kwan, Seung Hee, Latetia V. Moore, Heidi M. Blanck, Diane M. Harris, and Deb Galuska. “Disparities in State-Specific Adult Fruit and Vegetable Consumption — United States, 2015.” MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 66, no. 45 (November 17, 2017): 1241–47. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6645a1.
Singleton, Chelsea R, Sydney Fouché, Rucha Deshpande, Angela Odoms-Young, Corey Chatman, and Connie Spreen. “Barriers to Fruit and Vegetable Consumption among Farmers’ Market Incentive Programme Users in Illinois, USA.” Public Health Nutrition 21, no. 7 (February 19, 2018): 1345–49. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980018000101.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and U.S. Department of Agriculture. “2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.” Washington, D.C., December 2020. https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2020-12/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans_2020-2025.pdf.
Yeh, Ming-Chin, Scott B. Ickes, Lisa M. Lowenstein, Kerem Shuval, Alice S. Ammerman, Rosanne Farris, and David L. Katz. “Understanding Barriers and Facilitators of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption among a Diverse Multi-Ethnic Population in the USA.” Health Promotion International 23, no. 1 (March 1, 2008): 42–51. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/dam044.
America’s Health Rankings builds on the work of the United Health Foundation to draw attention to public health and better understand the health of various populations. Our platform provides relevant information that policymakers, public health officials, advocates and leaders can use to effect change in their communities.
We have developed detailed analyses on the health of key populations in the country, including women and children, seniors and those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, in addition to a deep dive into health disparities across the country.