Fruity Tunes and Veggie Tales Aren't Just for Kids

While most know that fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet, most Americans aren’t eating enough. But California has made progress. What are they doing differently?

The United States Department of Agriculture Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has funded the Network for a Healthy California. The Network for a Healthy California is a social marketing program that promotes eating fruits and vegetables.

Increase the amount of fruits and vegetables you eat.

Fruits and vegetables have many valuable nutrients needed daily. They can also help prevent chronic diseases like heart disease, hypertension, certain cancers, vision problems of aging and possibly type 2 diabetes.

Researchers from the Network for a Healthy California wanted to investigate how well their marketing program was doing. They gathered data from California residents for over 10 years and performed a 24 hour diet recall. The 24 hour diet recall is a detailed list of everything someone has eaten and drank over a 24 hour period.

They found that the average fruit and vegetable consumption increased from 3.8 to 5.2 servings per day. There was a 57 percent increase in the number of adults who reported eating 5 servings of fruit and vegetables in the 24 hour dietary recall. They also found an increased consumption of fruits and vegetables in low and high income groups.

Now that we know the Network for a Healthy California works, let’s expand the program to the rest of the world and start eating more fruits and vegetables.

The study was published in a supplement to the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior