Vegetable consumption statistics at a glance
Vegetable intake looks modest in the supplied data, and the gap between groups is large enough to matter. Across the national figures, the highest reported share meeting federal vegetable intake recommendations is 12.5% among adults age 51 and older, while several groups sit below 8% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
Fast fact: the national figures show women at 12.4% and men at 7.6%, a 4.8-point gap in favor of women (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
Key takeaways
- Older adults do better than younger adults nationally, with 12.5% meeting recommendations versus 7.1% for adults age 18-30 and 8.7% for adults age 31-50 (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- Higher income is associated with higher reported compliance nationally, rising from 6.8% for adults below an income-to-poverty ratio of 1.25 to 12.2% for adults above 3.49 (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- In the state examples provided, Arizona posts some of the strongest results, while Alabama sits at the lower end for most comparable groups (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
Table of contents
- National vegetable consumption statistics
- Vegetable consumption by age, sex, race, and income
- State vegetable consumption statistics
- What the numbers suggest about access and habits
- How to read these vegetable consumption statistics
National vegetable consumption statistics
The national dataset is most useful when read as a pattern of uneven progress rather than a single headline. The percentages that meet federal vegetable intake recommendations are low overall, but they are not flat; they move with age, sex, race, and income (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
National benchmark table
| Group | Share meeting federal vegetable intake recommendations |
|---|---|
| Men | 7.6% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS) |
| Women | 12.4% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS) |
| Adults age 18-30 | 7.1% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS) |
| Adults age 31-50 | 8.7% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS) |
| Adults age 51 and older | 12.5% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS) |
| Black adults | 6.9% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS) |
| Hispanic adults | 11.0% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS) |
| White adults | 10.1% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS) |
| Income-to-poverty ratio below 1.25 | 6.8% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS) |
| Income-to-poverty ratio 1.25-3.49 | 7.7% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS) |
| Income-to-poverty ratio above 3.49 | 12.2% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS) |
The table makes the core pattern easier to see: the national vegetable consumption statistics cluster in the single digits for several groups, then rise into the low teens for groups with higher age or higher income (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
The biggest national gaps
The most visible gap in the national numbers is sex.
- Women: 12.4%
- Men: 7.6%
That 4.8-point difference is larger than the gap between adults age 18-30 and adults age 31-50, which is 1.6 points (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
Age also matters.
- Adults age 18-30: 7.1%
- Adults age 31-50: 8.7%
- Adults age 51 and older: 12.5%
The older group is 5.4 points above the youngest adults in the national figures, a meaningful spread in a percentage-based measure where every point reflects a large share of people (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
Vegetable consumption by age, sex, race, and income
The national vegetable consumption statistics are most interesting when grouped by demographic category, because each category tells a slightly different story.
Sex differences in vegetable intake
Women lead men nationally.
- Women: 12.4% met federal vegetable intake recommendations in 2019 (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- Men: 7.6% met federal vegetable intake recommendations in 2019 (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
That gap matters because it suggests the average pattern is not just about overall availability; it also tracks with behavioral or household differences that show up consistently in survey data. The supplied statistics do not explain why, but they do show the direction clearly.
Age differences in vegetable intake
Age is another strong divider.
- Adults age 18-30: 7.1% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- Adults age 31-50: 8.7% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- Adults age 51 and older: 12.5% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
A simple way to read that pattern: compliance improves with age in the supplied national data. The highest age group is nearly 1.8 times the level of the youngest adults if you compare 12.5% to 7.1%.
Race and ethnicity in the national figures
The national race and ethnicity figures sit between the sex and age gaps.
- Black adults: 6.9% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- Hispanic adults: 11.0% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- White adults: 10.1% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
Among these three groups, Hispanic adults are highest and Black adults are lowest. The spread from Black adults to Hispanic adults is 4.1 points, which is large enough to stand out even in a dataset that already shows broad differences by sex and age (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
Income and vegetable intake
Income-to-poverty ratio shows a stepped pattern.
- Below 1.25: 6.8% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- 1.25-3.49: 7.7% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- Above 3.49: 12.2% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
The two lower-income bands are close together, then the highest-income band jumps noticeably higher. That is the sort of pattern that often drives state and policy comparisons because it suggests the reported vegetable intake gap is not evenly distributed.
Big number: 12.2% of adults above an income-to-poverty ratio of 3.49 met federal vegetable intake recommendations nationally, versus 6.8% below 1.25 (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
State vegetable consumption statistics
The state-level examples make the national story more concrete. Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, and Arkansas show how widely vegetable consumption statistics can vary when the same demographic groups are measured in different places (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
State comparison table
| State | Men | Women | Age 18-30 | Age 31-50 | Age 51+ | Black adults | Hispanic adults | White adults | Income below 1.25 | Income 1.25-3.49 | Income above 3.49 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 5.6% | 7.7% | 5.3% | 6.2% | 7.6% | 5.0% | 10.5% | 7.1% | 4.4% | 4.3% | 9.4% |
| Alaska | 9.6% | 13.5% | 10.3% | 8.7% | 14.6% | n/a | 11.5% | 9.5% | 9.1% | n/a | 12.9% |
| Arizona | 10.4% | 15.2% | 11.2% | 11.6% | 14.3% | 8.4% | 14.5% | 12.5% | 8.9% | 10.9% | 15.2% |
| Arkansas | 9.0% | 12.6% | 10.6% | 9.5% | 12.0% | 11.2% | 12.1% | 10.4% | n/a | n/a | 12.7% |
The table shows a few immediate patterns:
- Arizona is the strongest of the listed states across most comparable groups.
- Alabama is the weakest of the listed states across most comparable groups.
- Women exceed men in every state example provided.
- Higher-income adults usually do better than lower-income adults where the data is available.
Alabama: low across most groups
Alabama is consistently near the bottom of the state examples.
- Men: 5.6% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- Women: 7.7% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- Adults age 18-30: 5.3% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- Adults age 31-50: 6.2% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- Adults age 51 and older: 7.6% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- Black adults: 5.0% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- Hispanic adults: 10.5% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- White adults: 7.1% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- Income below 1.25: 4.4% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- Income 1.25-3.49: 4.3% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- Income above 3.49: 9.4% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
The two lowest Alabama values are the middle-income group at 4.3% and Black adults at 5.0% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS). Even the strongest Alabama figure in the supplied data, 10.5% for Hispanic adults, still sits below Arizona’s comparable Hispanic figure of 14.5% and below the national value of 11.0% by only a small margin (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
Alaska: stronger among women and older adults
Alaska performs better than Alabama in every comparable group shown.
- Men: 9.6% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- Women: 13.5% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- Adults age 18-30: 10.3% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- Adults age 31-50: 8.7% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- Adults age 51 and older: 14.6% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- Hispanic adults: 11.5% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- White adults: 9.5% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- Income below 1.25: 9.1% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- Income above 3.49: 12.9% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
The most striking Alaska figure is 14.6% for adults age 51 and older, which is the highest age-specific percentage in the state set provided (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
Arizona: the strongest state example in the dataset
Arizona is the clearest high performer in the supplied state data.
- Men: 10.4% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- Women: 15.2% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- Adults age 18-30: 11.2% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- Adults age 31-50: 11.6% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- Adults age 51 and older: 14.3% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- Black adults: 8.4% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- Hispanic adults: 14.5% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- White adults: 12.5% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- Income below 1.25: 8.9% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- Income 1.25-3.49: 10.9% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- Income above 3.49: 15.2% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
Arizona’s strongest figure is 15.2% for women and the highest-income group, and both are tied at the same percentage (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS). That makes Arizona unusual in the supplied data because its highest income band reaches the same level as its female percentage, a sign of especially strong outcomes at the top end.
Arkansas: mid-range overall, with a strong high-income result
Arkansas generally sits between Alabama and Arizona.
- Men: 9.0% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- Women: 12.6% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- Adults age 18-30: 10.6% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- Adults age 31-50: 9.5% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- Adults age 51 and older: 12.0% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- Black adults: 11.2% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- Hispanic adults: 12.1% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- White adults: 10.4% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- Income above 3.49: 12.7% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
Arkansas does not have the lowest or highest values in every group, but it shows a relatively balanced profile. The standout is 12.7% for adults above an income-to-poverty ratio of 3.49, which is almost identical to the state’s female figure of 12.6% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
What the numbers suggest about access and habits
These vegetable consumption statistics do not tell a full causal story, but they do point to clear gradients.
1. Vegetable intake rises with age in the national data
The national age progression is straightforward: 7.1%, 8.7%, then 12.5% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS). That structure suggests older adults are more likely to meet the recommended intake level than younger adults.
2. Women report higher intake than men
The sex gap appears in the national figures and in every state example provided (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS). That consistency makes it one of the most stable patterns in the dataset.
3. Higher income usually lines up with higher intake
The national income pattern climbs from 6.8% to 12.2% (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS). Arizona and Arkansas also show stronger results at the highest income tier, while Alabama stays comparatively low even in the highest group.
4. State context changes the scale, not the shape
The exact percentages shift from place to place, but the general pattern is recognizable: women are above men, older adults are above younger adults, and higher-income groups often do better than lower-income groups (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS). The state comparisons matter because they show that the same demographic group can perform very differently depending on where it is measured.
How to read these vegetable consumption statistics
When you use the data, keep the scope tight.
- Treat the percentages as shares meeting federal vegetable intake recommendations, not as a measure of total dietary quality (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).
- Compare groups within the same source and year before drawing a conclusion.
- Pay attention to the biggest spreads first, especially sex and income.
- Use state figures as examples of variation, not as a full national ranking.
A concise way to remember the dataset is this: the national vegetable consumption statistics are low overall, but they are uneven in a predictable way. Older adults, women, and higher-income groups generally report better outcomes, while the state examples show that local context can amplify or soften those differences (CDC MMWR 2022 BRFSS).