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The National Fruit & Vegetable Program is a national partnership to increase
consumption of fruits and vegetables by all Americans. Eating a diet
rich in fruits and vegetables every day will promote good health and
may help reduce the risk of stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, and
some cancers.
The program seeks to do this by increasing public awareness of the
importance of eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables every day
for better health, providing consumers with specific information about
how to include more servings of fruits and vegetables into their daily
routines, and increasing the availability of fruits and vegetables at
home, school, work, and other places where food is served.
In 1991 a partnership was formed between the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Produce for Better Health Foundation. The nutrition program that was created through this partnership was called the 5 A Day for Better Health Program. 5 A Day was one of the nation's largest public/private partnership for nutrition. In October 2005, CDC became lead federal agency and national health authority for the National 5 A Day Program.
In March 2007 5 A Day program became the National Fruit and Vegetable Program and launched a new public health initiative, Fruits & Veggies—More Matters, in order to reflect the new dietary guidelines, which recommend more than 5 servings of fruits and vegetables for some Americans. The National Program is a public private partnership. It is confederation of government, not-for-profit groups and industry working collaboratively and synergistically to increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables for improved public health. (For more information, visit the partnership page).
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, released in January 2005, changed fruit and vegetable recommendations for all Americans. Previous dietary guidelines recommended a range of 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. The new guidelines recommend 2 to 6 1/2 cups of fruits and vegetables a day or the equivalent of 4 to 13 servings. Through consumer research, the National Fruit & Vegetable Program recognizes that cups is a more understandable and more motivating tool for helping consumers visualize the amount of fruits and vegetables they should eat.
For more information, visit the National Fruit & Vegetable Program guidebook.
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