Vegetables: Eating Habits Today

Americans on the whole are eating only about 17 percent more vegetables—fresh and processed—than they were in the 1980s. This stems, in part, from the fact that food consumption in countries with low population growth and generally high incomes, like the United States, remains relatively stable. Because the demand for produce is considered inelastic, growth in one area of consumption tends to predict decline in another. Processed vegetables continue to outsell fresh, though by a narrow margin. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), head lettuce tops the list of most consumed vegetables, followed by frozen potatoes, fresh potatoes, canned tomatoes, potatoes for chips, and dried beans. Dark yellow and green vegetable consumption comes in at around 5 percent.