Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Is...Declining?

That's right. Fruit and vegetable consumption fell by 27 pounds per capita during the past decade—from 299 pounds per person in 2003 to 272 pounds per person in 2013, according to the USDA's Economic Research Service. But only three items account for most of the decline: orange juice, potatoes, and head lettuce.

So who isn't eating their vegetables? Most Americans have cut back, according to USDA researchers. Children (aged 2 to 19) and men (aged 20 or older) ate fewer vegetables in 2007-08 (the latest data available by demographic characteristic) than in 1994-98. Women, in contrast, are eating more vegetables—except for potatoes and tomatoes. Vegetable consumption (except potatoes) has also increased among the college educated.

Source: USDA, Economic Research Service, A Closer Look at Declining Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Using Linked Data Sources