Posts Tagged “nutrition assistance programs”
Fruits and vegetables are very extremely good for us. However, it’s not always easy for people to get access to fresh produce, though, especially if they live in “food deserts” (places where fresh food is hard to find).
States with more farmers markets; acceptance of food assistance programs at the aforementioned farmers markets; and other retailers (like supermarkets and corner stores) that have lots of produce are likely to have residents that eat more fruits and vegetables daily.
The West Coast generally eats the most produce every day; the East Coast eats a lot too. However, the Midwest and the South lag behind. A Center for Disease Control report certain regions lack access to fruits and vegetables.
A number of states with the highest consumption of fruits and vegetables have more environmental supports. For example, adults in Oregon and California eat more vegetables than adults in other states. They also are among the highest in fruit consumption. Oregon and California are also above the national score on access to a healthier food retailer, farmers market density, and farmers market acceptance of nutrition assistance program benefits.
The CDC report doesn’t define what a serving of fruit or vegetables looks like. although that has been over the years by various organization. It doesn’t take too much of imagination to figure out a serving. For example, a “normal” serving would be a slice a watermelon, not the whole 20 lab melon. Just use a little common sense.