According to the Produce for Better Health Foundation, national consumption of fruits and vegetables has declined 7% over the past five years:

State of the Plate, 2015 Study on America’s Consumption of Fruit and Vegetables.

After a brief rise in per capita consumption of fruit and vegetables between 2004 and 2009, overall consumption has declined 7% over the past 5 years, including both in-home and away-from-home foods.

This is noteworthy:

However, fruit’s losses have been driven primarily by juice. Fruit juice consumption is down 14% over the past 5 years and 21% over the last 10 years. The per capita consumption of whole fruit — whether fresh, canned, frozen, or dried — has remained fairly stable during this time: down 2% over the past 5 years, but still up 7% over the past 10 years.

So, it’s really the decline in vegetable consumption that’s driving this. About that fruit juice decline, they say that “the ever-increasing competitive set of beverages available to consumers, that now includes flavored water” has contributed.

I also thought this was interesting. We’re spending a whole lot less on food these days (as a percent of income) than our parents did:

Two questions for you:

1. Why are people eating fewer vegetables?
2. Has your own consumption of vegetables gone up or down over the last 5 years?