Overall fruit and vegetable consumption is on the rise for the first time in nearly 15 years, with a combined increase of 1% in annual eatings per capita between 2002 and 2004, according to a report issued by Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH), Wilmington, Del. (Note: the number of times the average person consumes a fruit or vegetable item annually does not measure volume.)
This report details results from two comprehensive research studies commissioned by PBH and conducted by New York-based ACNielsen and NPD Foodworld Research. Both studies found upward trends in combined fruit and vegetable consumption. The ACNielsen study of nearly 2,600 households reports that the number of Americans claiming to eat five or more daily servings was 18% in 2004, up 50% from 2003. The NPD study of 2,000 households from its National Eating Trends panel shows a similar percentage of people who reported eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day in 2004.