87 percent of Americans Not Eating Their Vegetables

According to the Centers for Disease Control and NBC News, eighty-seven percent of Americans do not get the recommended daily allowance of vegetables, while seventy-five percent do not eat enough fruit.

Adults need three or more servings of vegetables per day, as well as two cups of fruit. However, studies show most Americans consume less than a cup of fruit and less than two cups of vegetables each day.

According to numerous studies, people who eat the daily recommended five to nine servings of fruits and veggies lower their risk of stroke, heart disease, diabetes, and many other illnesses.

A 2014 paper published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health found people who ate seven or more servings of vegetables were 42 percent less likely to die from any cause than those who ate only one serving.

So why folks not regularly eating their vegetables?

"People perceive vegetables as being difficult to manage. Start with expensive. There's a lot of waste. They have to be peeled. They have to be washed. They have to be cut. They aren’t as filling as junkier foods. The barriers are real." - Dr. Marion Nestle, Nutrition Professor, New York University

How many servings of fruits and vegetables do you eat every day?