What Determines the Variety of a Household's Vegetable Purchases?

by Hayden Stewart, Michael Harris, and Joanne Guthrie

The USDA encourages people to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables through the Food Guide Pyramid and participation in the National 5-A-Day Partnership. A varied diet helps ensure a complete mix of nutrients, and a lack of variety in vegetable consumption has been further linked to the incidence of obesity (e.g., McCrory et al.). To assist these efforts, the USDA's Economic Research Service has investigated the factors that influence the purchase of vegetables, and identified obstacles to variety.

Keywords: Fruits, Vegetables, food consumption trends, food costs, food expenditures, food assistance programs, National School Lunch Program, child nutrition, produce

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