U.S.
teenage consumption of fruit and vegetables comes nowhere near the
recommended four to five servings per day, health officials say. A
report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found in 2010,
the average U.S. teen consumption was 1.2 servings per day for both
fruits and vegetables. In addition, about one in four high-school
students consumed fruit less than once daily, and one in three consumed
vegetables less than once daily. Current daily fruit and vegetable
recommendations for adolescents who participate in less than 30 minutes
of physical activity daily are 1.5 cups of fruit and 2.5 cups of
vegetables for females and 2 cups of fruit and 3 cups of vegetables for
males – 1 cup is approximately equal to one medium apple, eight
strawberries, 12 baby carrots, or one large tomato. Overall, 28.5% of
U.S. high school students consumed fruit less than once daily, and 33.2%
of high school students consumed vegetables less than once daily, the
CDC said.
