Survey shows fruit, vegetable consumption down in 2009

Excerpt from an article published in The Packer on 01/25/2010 by Tom Karst

Consumers are contradicting themselves.

The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index shows more Americans said they were eating healthy in 2009 compared with the previous year. However, the percentage reporting that they ate at least five servings of fruits and vegetables four days out of the previous week, declined.

The group said the recession and higher unemployment may have taken a toll on the consumption of fruits and vegetables, and said that trend was particularly evident in the first few months of 2009.

The group said that healthy eating is most common for those Americans living in the West, older consumers and Hispanics,

The survey indicated that healthy eating in 2009 was lowest among Midwesterners, though that region improved the most compared with 2008 levels. The East was the only region that recorded a “healthy eating” decline in 2009, Gallup said.

While Hispanics and older Americans are the top “healthy eating” performers in 2009, the survey said blacks and consumers from 18- to 29-years old were the least healthy eaters in 2009.