“Eat your vegetables” has been heard at the dinner table for a long time. Has the message gotten through? Two new studies published in the Journal of Preventive Medicine clearly show that most of us are not meeting the goals set forth in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Researchers from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and the Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research analyzed data and trends in fruit and vegetable consumption among adults from 1988 to 2002. Only eleven percent of adults eat the number of servings of both fruits and vegetables currently recommended by the U.S.D.A.  Sixty-two percent of the adults surveyed did not consume any whole fruit daily and twenty-five percent of participants reported no daily vegetable servings.
     We know that fruits and veggies offer vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants with few calories. In epidemiological studies, those with diets rich in these foods have lower rates of cancer, heart disease and diabetes. So how can we get people to eat more of these foods?
      Donna Speed is the registered dietitian who serves as Nutrition Director for the Mississippi Department of Health and as the state coordinator for the new “Fruits and Veggies, More Matters” campaign. This new public awareness campaign was developed by the Produce for Better Health Foundation in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control. “The message is simple: if you eat one serving of fruit a day, try to eat one more serving. If you eat two veggie servings, try for three. Variety is still important so choose as many different color fruits and veggies as you can. There are over 350 varieties of fruits and veggies available so there’s no reason for boredom,” explained Speed. She pointed out that adults who are obese eat fewer fruits and veggies than those of normal weight. 
     More matters. The general public knows that they should eat more fruits and vegetables but may be discouraged when they see the goal of five to thirteen servings a day. Simply eating a few more servings than you normally do can make a big difference in your health.
     The campaign lists some TASTE tips:
T- try something new
A- all forms of fruits and veggies count: fresh, frozen, canned, dried and juiced
S - shop smart, store fresh fruits and veggies correctly
T - turn it into a family activity: menu planning, shopping, preparing and eating
E - explore all the variety
     There is also a recipe contest open to the public from March 19 through May 31, 2007.  Share a favorite healthy recipe that incorporates fruits and/or veggies and you could win a weekend trip to California or New York to cook with the chefs of the Culinary Institute of America.
    Check out this great website www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org and get more information on the More Matters Recipe Challenge. The MS Department of Health’s website is www.HealthyMS.com and it lists services and programs with links to nutrition information, as well as cancer, heart disease and diabetes prevention information.