U.S. High School Students Are Not Eating Enough Fruits and Vegetables
Eating more fruits and vegetables helps reduce the risk of chronic diseases and can help maintain a healthy weight. However, a recent CDC report shows U.S. high school students continue to eat less than the recommended daily amount of both fruits and vegetables.
Among high school students, girls who participate in less than 30 minutes of physical activity each day should eat at least 1.5 cups of fruit and 2.5 cups of vegetables each day. Boys who participate in less than 30 minutes of physical activity each day should eat at least 2 cups of fruit and 3 cups of vegetables each day.
In 2010, about 1 in 4 U.S. high school students ate fruits less than once per day, and 1 in 3 U.S high school students ate vegetables less than once per day. This low consumption of fruits and vegetables makes it unlikely that the majority of students are meeting the daily fruit and vegetable recommendations.
Schools and communities can increase students' access to and availability of fruits and vegetables through: farm-to-school initiatives, school gardens and salad bars, and farmers markets.