Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/924515
average U.S. diet still falls short of the recommendations in the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans for these major food groups. Americans, on average, consumed more than the recommended amounts of meat, eggs, and nuts and grains in 2014. So, is this a bad joke? We finally convince our families to eat more fruits and vegetables and make better choices and now we need to be a chemist to figure out what is going in or on the things we eat! At Abby's farm, we see every day the difference between growing organic or using conventional methods. So, while it's true that our diet should absolutely include more vegetables and particularly the leafy vegetables, we need to be aware of the differences between conventional and organic produce. "Eat your vegetables"... ... well maybe? I and probably most of my peers grew up hearing this at the dinner table over and over and over. So, moms were pretty smart about this way before it was in vogue. However, today parents need to be a new kind of cagey and savvy to keep up with all of the issues with food groups that have historically been thought to be the "best and healthiest" choices. Interestingly, with all the information about health and choices available, fruit and vegetable consumption is actually down as a percentage of our diet and as the graph below shows we don't eat enough of the right stuff. United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service. Potatoes and tomatoes are the most commonly consumed vegetables. According to ERS's loss-adjusted food availability data, Americans consumed 46.7 pounds per person of potatoes and 31.4 pounds of tomatoes in 2014. Half of potato consumption was fresh, while 59 percent of tomato consumption was canned. French fries and pizza contribute to the high consumption of these two vegetables. The third highest vegetable— onions—came in at 7.5 pounds per person. U.S. diets are out of balance with Federal recommendations While Americans are consuming more vegetables and fruit than in 1970, the Abby's Magazine - Volume 6 Issue 1| Page 47