About the National Fruit & Vegetable Program and Web Site
- What is the National Fruit & Vegetable Program?
- What is the goal of the National Fruit & Vegetable Program?
- What are the components of the National Fruit & Vegetable Program?
- Where can I learn more about the National Fruit & Vegetable Program and eating a healthy diet?
- How do I learn about local fruit and vegetable activities?
- Can I republish information from this Web site?
The Importance of Eating Fruits and Vegetables Every Day
- Why are fruits and vegetables important for my health?
- How many fruits and vegetables should be eaten daily for good health?
More about the Fruit and Vegetable Recommendations
- Why are the fruit and vegetable recommendations now listed as cups instead of servings?
- Are there recommendations for children?
- If I take a multi-vitamin, does this reduce my fruit and vegetable needs?
- Does juice count towards my recommended fruit intake?
- Where can I find more information about food safety and fruits and vegetables?
Types of Fruits and Vegetables
- What types of fruits and vegetables are promoted by the National Fruit & Vegetable Program?
How to Add Fruits and Vegetables into Your Diet the Quick and Easy Way
- What are some quick and easy ways that I can add fruits and vegetables into my diet?
- What are some quick and tasty ways to prepare fruits and vegetables?
Fruits & Veggies — More Matters
- What is Fruits & Veggies — More Matters?
- Why are the logo and the identity of the national fruit and vegetable program changing?
- When does the launch of the new identity take place?
- How can I be involved in the launch of Fruits & Veggies — More Matters?
- How do I legally use the Fruits & Veggies — More Matters logo?
- Are there new recipe and product criteria with the new brand?
- What is the National Fruit & Vegetable Program?
- The National Fruit & Vegetable Program is a public private partnership. It is a confederation of government, not-for-profit groups and industry groups working collaboratively and synergistically to increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables for improved public health. Participants in the program include:
- American Cancer Society (ACS)
- American Heart Association (AHA)
- American Diabetes Association (ADA)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- California Department of Health Services (CDHS)
- National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity (NANA)
- National Cancer Institute (NCI)
- National Council of Fruit and Vegetable Nutrition Coordinators
- Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH)
- Produce Marketing Association (PMA)
- United Fresh Fruit and Produce Association (UFFPA)
- United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
The National Fruit & Vegetable Program also includes Nutrition Coordinators in all 50 states, U.S. territories, and uniformed forces. Fruit and Vegetable Nutrition Coordinators work closely with partnering organizations and are responsible for planning and conducting fruit and vegetable activities in their state.
- What is the goal of the National Fruit & Vegetable Program?
- The goal of the National Fruit & Vegetable Program is to promote health through increased consumption of fruits and vegetables. The National Fruit & Vegetable Program supports initiatives to provide education and to improve access to fruits and vegetables.
- What are the components of the National Fruit & Vegetable Program?
- The National Fruit & Vegetable Program focuses on several key areas to increase consumption of fruits and vegetables for all Americans.
- Building state and community capacity and infrastructure
- Policy and environmental change
- Nutrition education and behavior change
- Research
- Evaluation
- Communication
- Working with industry and other national partners
- How do I learn about local fruit and vegetable activities?
- Information about local, regional, or state fruit and vegetable activities is available through Fruit and Vegetable Nutrition Coordinators. A list of the Fruit and Vegetable Nutrition Coordinators can be found in our Health Professionals section.
- Can I republish information from this Web site?
- Yes. All of the fruit and vegetable content can be
republished from this site. FruitsandVeggiesMatter.gov must be credited as the source
of the information. Links do not constitute an endorsement of any
organization by CDC or the Federal Government, and none should be
inferred. The CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual
organization Web pages found at this Web site.
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- Why are fruits and vegetables important for my health?
- Most fruits and vegetables are naturally low in calories
and provide essential nutrients and dietary fiber. They may also play
a role in preventing certain chronic diseases. When compared to people
who eat only small amounts of fruits and vegetables, those who eat
more generous amounts, as part of a healthy diet, tend to have reduced
risk of chronic diseases. These diseases include stroke, type 2
diabetes, some types of cancer, and perhaps cardiovascular disease and
hypertension.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of
Agriculture. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005. 6th Edition,
Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, January 2005.
- How many fruits and vegetables should be eaten daily
for good health?
- Your daily fruit and vegetable needs depend on your
calorie needs. Your calorie needs are determined by your age, sex,
and physical activity level. Visit
How
Many Fruits and Vegetables Do You Need?
To learn more about an overall healthy eating plan that includes the
appropriate calories and the recommended amounts of fruits and
vegetable that you need, visit
MyPyramid.gov and enter your age, sex, and activity level into the
My Pyramid Plan.
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- Why are fruit and vegetable recommendations now listed
as cups instead of servings?
- The fruit and vegetable recommendations are listed as
cups because it is easier for people to relate to amounts in household
measurements rather than as servings only. To find more information
about common fruit and vegetable sizes that equal ½ cup and 1 cup,
visit What Counts as a Cup?
- What about children?
- The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 fruit and vegetable
recommendations include recommendations for children, ages two and
older. To see your child's recommendations, visit our How
Many Fruits and Vegetables Do You Need? interactive tool and enter
your child's age, sex, and physical activity level.
- If I take a multi-vitamin, does this reduce my fruit
and vegetable needs?
- Your fruit and vegetable recommendations do not change
if you are taking a multivitamin. This is because in addition to
vitamins and minerals, fruits and vegetables contain naturally
occurring substances that may help protect against chronic health
conditions. Thus, you should focus on meeting your nutrient needs
primarily through foods. It should be noted that the Dietary
Guidelines for Americans 2005 have recommended that the following
population groups consume fortified foods or supplements to meet their
nutrient needs:
- People over age 50. Consume vitamin B12 in its crystalline
form (i.e., fortified foods or supplements).
- Women of childbearing age who may become pregnant. Eat
foods high in heme-iron and/or consume iron-rich plant foods or
iron-fortified foods with an enhancer of iron absorption, such as
vitamin C-rich foods.
- Women of childbearing age who may become pregnant and those
in the first trimester of pregnancy. Consume adequate
synthetic folic acid daily (from fortified foods or supplements)
in addition to food forms of folate from a varied diet.
- Older adults, people with dark skin, and people exposed to
insufficient ultraviolet band radiation (i.e., sunlight).
Consume extra vitamin D from vitamin D-fortified foods and/or
supplements.
- Does fruit juice count towards my recommended fruit intake?
- While 100% juice can count towards your intake, the
majority of your choices should be whole or cut-up fruits (fresh,
frozen, canned, or dried). These fruit choices are better options
because they contain dietary fiber. ½ cup (4 fluid ounces) of 100%
fruit juice does count as ½ cup of fruit in meeting your requirements.
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- What types of fruits and vegetables are promoted by
the National Fruit & Vegetable Program?
- All fresh, frozen, dried, or canned fruits and
vegetables count toward your fruit and vegetable goal. Fruits and
vegetables (with the exception of olives, avocados, and coconut) are
naturally low in fat. Canned, dried, and frozen foods are also good
options. Look for fruit without added sugar or syrups and vegetables
without added salt, butter, or cream sauces.
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- What are some quick and easy ways that I can add fruits
and vegetables into my diet?
- Try these!
- Add fruit to your breakfast cereal or oatmeal (not just
bananas, but also try apples, grapes, berries, peaches, or
mandarin oranges).
- Snack on mini-carrots or dried fruit at work instead of candy.
- Add to your take-out dinner with fruits and vegetables from
home.
- Microwave a vegetable to add to your dinner or eat some fruit
for dessert.
For more quick and easy tips, check out the
Tips
section.
- What are some quick and tasty ways to prepare fruits
and vegetables?
- Here are some no-hassle, quick ways to get delicious fruits
and vegetables on the table.
Salads and Sides:
- Open and rinse cans of kidney beans, wax beans, chickpeas, and
green beans, and toss with a low-fat or fat-free vinaigrette for
an ultra-fast bean salad.
- Try adding fresh herbs to vegetables before you roast,
stir-fry, or steam them. For example, tomatoes go well with basil
and oregano, and carrots go well with dill.
- Broil sliced vegetables such as zucchini, bell peppers,
eggplant, and tomatoes for just a few minutes until they blacken
around the edges. Serve warm with a low-calorie dressing of lemon
juice, low-fat or fat-free mayonnaise, and black pepper.
Entrees:
- Add 1–2 cups of frozen vegetables to canned soup before
heating; serve on top of rice in a shallow bowl.
- Use a 12-inch, pre-baked packaged pizza crust to create a
20-minute dinner; add sliced zucchini, fresh spinach, mushrooms,
tomatoes, garlic, onion, and low-fat cheese and bake at 400° F
until the cheese bubbles.
- Add grapes, sliced apples, and pears to a chicken salad made
with low-fat or fat-free mayonnaise.
- Add tomatoes, radishes, and green bell peppers to a tuna
salad made with low-fat or fat-free mayonnaise. 1
- Top broiled lean meat, chicken, or fish with salsa. Each 1/2
cup of salsa counts as a 1/2 cup toward meeting your daily vegetable
needs.
1The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advise women of childbearing age
who may become pregnant, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and young
children to avoid some types of fish and shellfish and eat fish and
shellfish that are lower in mercury. For more information, call FDA’s
information line toll-free at 1-888-SAFEFOOD or visit FDA’s and EPA’s
What You Need to
Know About Mercury in Fish and Shellfish.
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- What is Fruits & Veggies — More Matters?
-
Fruits & Veggies — More Matters is a new public health initiative to
replace National Fruit & Vegetable for Better Health. The Fruits & Veggies – More
Matters brand is owned by one of CDC’s partners, the Produce for
Better Health Foundation. CDC serves as the lead public health
authority and lead federal agency for the brand.
- Why are the logo and the identity of the national fruit and
vegetable program changing?
- The HHS-USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005
recommends various amounts of fruit and vegetable intake based
on age, sex, and physical activity level. Encouraging 5 servings of
fruits and vegetables is no longer an accurate recommendation for
most people. The new logo and brand encourage individualized change to
increase consumption of fruits and vegetables.
- When does the launch of the new initiative take place?
- The national launch for Fruits & Veggies — More Matters
took place on March 19, 2007. At present, launch events are planned in a number of
cities throughout the United States, with several main launch events taking
place in San Francisco, New York City, and Atlanta.
- How can I be involved in the launch of Fruits & Veggies – More
Matters?
- Each state, territory, and uniformed service
has a fruit and vegetable coordinator.
Contact
your coordinator to find out how you or your organization can
participate in the launch of Fruits & Veggies — More Matters.
- How do I legally use the Fruits & Veggies — More Matters logo?
- Licenses to use the new logo for the public sector (non-profit and
government organizations) will soon be able to be obtained from the
CDC. Please contact Mary Kay Solera,
msolera@cdc.gov for more
information on licenses for the public sector.
Licenses for the
private sector (for-profit organizations) can be obtained through
the Produce for Better Health Foundation. Please contact Kristin
Hodgson, khodgson@pbhfoundation.org, at the Produce for Better
Health Foundation for more information on licensing for the private
sector.
- Are there new recipe and product criteria with the new
initiative?
- Yes, they are called the Products Promotable criteria, and they have
changed from the previous National Fruit & Vegetable criteria. These criteria are
currently on the
Produce for Better Health Foundation Web site*
and will be available on this Web site soon.
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