According to the federal
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the amount of whole fruit children age 2-18 consume increased by 67% from 2003 to 2010. (“Whole fruit” includes fruit that is fresh, frozen, canned, or dried; it does not include juice.) Even with this surge in popularity, six out of 10 children did not eat enough fruit from 2007 to 2010. Perhaps not surprisingly, vegetables were even less popular; nine out of 10 children did not eat enough vegetables during that time period.
Of the vegetables children ate from 2009 to 2010, about 1/3
were white potatoes, and nearly 2/3 (63%) of those potatoes were fried (e.g., French fries) or potato chips.
To increase children’s fruit and vegetable intake, the CDC recommends that parents:
1. eat fruit and vegetables with their children;
2. involve them in shopping, growing, and preparing fruits and vegetables; and
3. learn what counts as a cup of fruit and vegetables (e.g., eight large strawberries or 12 baby carrots).
