Why Aren’t Americans Eating Enough Fruits and Vegetables?

If you’re like most Americans, you’ve heard the advice to eat more fruits and vegetables so many times it almost doesn’t register anymore. From grade school food pyramids to glossy wellness campaigns, the message has been consistent: eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is one of the most important things you can do for your health. But as a recent report from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals, this advice isn’t translating into action—and the consequences may be more serious than we realize.

In a detailed analysis published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the CDC used data from the 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to assess how well American adults were adhering to the federal dietary guidelines. The findings are striking: only 12.3% of adults met the recommended daily intake for fruits and just 10.0% met the recommendation for vegetables.

To put that in perspective, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services recommend that adults consume 1.5–2 cups of fruit and 2–3 cups of vegetables each day. These aren’t extreme or aspirational numbers. They represent a basic foundation for disease prevention and healthy living. And yet, more than 85% of Americans are not even reaching this baseline.

Understanding the Disparities

Digging deeper into the CDC report reveals disparities across age, gender, income level and race/ethnicity. For example, women were more likely than men to meet both fruit and vegetable intake recommendations, although still at relatively low rates. About 14.5% of women met fruit guidelines compared to just 10.1% of men. Vegetable intake followed a similar pattern, with 12.4% of women meeting the standard, versus only 7.6% of men.

Age also played a role. Older adults (aged 51 and above) had the highest percentage of individuals meeting vegetable intake guidelines (12.5%), likely due to increased health awareness or medical advice. Younger adults, especially those aged 18 to 30, had the lowest rates.

Perhaps most concerning are the disparities based on income. Individuals living near or below the poverty level (defined as an income-to-poverty ratio of less than 1.25) had the lowest adherence to vegetable intake recommendations at just 6.8%. For fruit, the number was only slightly higher at 10.1%. When healthy food is priced as a luxury and fast food is a more accessible option, it’s no surprise these gaps exist. It is significantly cheaper for a family of 4 to have McDonald’s family meal, which typically includes two cheeseburgers, two Big Macs, four small fries and a 10-piece Chicken McNuggets for $12 in some states, significantly less than having a healthy nutritious meal with a variety of vegetables.

Race and ethnicity also factored into the data. Hispanic adults had the highest proportion of individuals meeting fruit recommendations (16.4%), while non-Hispanic White adults were more likely to meet vegetable guidelines (10.1%). Black adults had the lowest adherence overall, with only 9.1% meeting fruit guidelines and 6.9% for vegetables.

The Bigger Picture

These numbers are more than just statistics—they reflect real, everyday decisions that have long-term consequences for public health. Diet-related chronic diseases are on the rise in the U.S., including obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer. Each of these conditions has a well-documented link to low fruit and vegetable intake.

The CDC notes that these diet-related health issues also contribute to increased vulnerability to infectious diseases, including more severe outcomes from COVID-19. At a population level, this creates a cycle of poor health outcomes, higher medical costs and deepening health inequities.
What’s especially frustrating is that the science isn’t in question. We know that eating more fruits and vegetables improves health outcomes across the board. We know that diets rich in fiber, polyphenols (antioxidants), vitamins and minerals help regulate inflammation, support gut health and enhance immune function. The problem is no longer a lack of awareness. It’s a failure of access, infrastructure and policy.

Why Access Matters

One of the major takeaways from the CDC report is the role that access plays in dietary patterns. Simply telling people to “eat healthier” is useless if they live in a food desert, can’t afford fresh produce, or lack the time and tools to prepare home-cooked meals.

To address this, the CDC advocates for broader systemic changes—initiatives that make fruits and vegetables more accessible, affordable and integrated into community environments. Programs like “Good Food for All,” which distributes free produce boxes to low-income households, have shown promising results. Another outstanding example of successful initiatives is EatReal.org. The organization’s goal is to “nourish the future of American kids by putting real food on the table at school, at home and in local and national policy. Policy-level interventions, such as subsidies for farmers markets, financial incentives through SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and zoning laws that allow for more grocery stores in underserved areas, are also vital steps forward.

Education plays a critical role too. While access is essential, people also need to feel confident in how to use these foods—how to cook them, make them tasty and incorporate them into their routines. Nutrition education in schools, community cooking classes and culturally relevant health campaigns can help bridge this knowledge gap.

Moving From Data to Action

The CDC’s findings are a wake-up call, but they’re not entirely surprising. They confirm what many public health professionals, educators and community organizers have been saying for years: we need to do more than raise awareness—we need to change the environment.

As we have emphasized many times in the MGC Newsletter, food is not just fuel. It’s culture, habit, access, time and money all wrapped into one. And until we approach dietary change with that complexity in mind, we’ll continue to fall short of even the most basic nutrition goals.

Improving fruit and vegetable intake isn’t just about preventing individual disease—it’s about creating healthier, more resilient communities. It’s about ensuring that everyone, regardless of income, zip code, or background, has the tools and support to thrive.

Our upcoming brand, Mayer Nutrition, has this CDC report at heart of mind. You can learn more by following us on Instagram or signing up for email updates here!

You can read the full CDC report here.