“We should all be eating fruits and vegetables as if our lives depend on it - because they do.”

— Michael Gregor

Key Takeaways

Until recently, we haven’t had hard evidence to back up the recommendation to include more fruits and vegetables in our diets.
This 2021 study found that the magic daily numbers to prevent death and disease are:
- Five fruits and vegetables (total)
- To be specific, 3 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruit
Compared to those that consumed just 2 servings/day, 5 servings/day was associated with:
- 13% reduced risk of death from all causes
- 12% reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease
- 10% reduced risk of death from cancer
- 35% reduced risk of death from respiratory disease
Eating more than 5 per day did not show further life-extending benefits.
Only 1 in 10 of Americans consume the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables each day (according to the CDC).

Full Story

It’s no secret that fruits and vegetables are beneficial to our health. From the time you were old enough to chew, you’ve been told:

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away”
“Eat your vegetables”
“Finish your broccoli or you won’t even get to LOOK AT dessert”

Generally, we all know it’s a “good idea” to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Until recently, we haven’t had the hard evidence to back up the specific recommendations. Now, we have data that tells us exactly how many fruits and vegetables we need to consume each day to live longer and prevent disease.

Do I Need To?

Many enjoy the taste of fruits and vegetables. If you’re like me, you genuinely look forward to slicing up a fresh banana or pouring berries onto your oatmeal, roasting some Brussel sprouts or broccoli, and snacking on baby carrots, tomatoes, or an apple throughout the day.

If you resonate with this point of view - you consume a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, and enjoy every moment of it - you may be confused. “The more fruits and veggies, the better! Who cares if the recommendation is 5, 9, or 19?”

Others, though, can’t stand the thought of letting any fruit or vegetable within the general vicinity of their lips and thinking about the taste, texture, and smell makes them sick. For those of you that need to choke down cauliflower or sneak spinach into your smoothies, the pivotal question is “How many is enough?” If it’s a struggle to fit each piece of produce into your day, I know you want specific numbers to avoid unnecssary torture.

Today, the general recommendation, based more on opinion than hard science, is 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables each day (1). Helpful, but these guidelines are too vague and leave many questions unanswered:

Which is it - 5 or 9?!
Does 5 potatoes count? How about 5 ears of corn?
Is it okay if I only eat fruits?
Is it okay if I only eat vegetables?
How many bananas is too many?

Now, we have all the answers.

The Study - What The Numbers Say

You have questions, I have answers. How many fruits and vegetables do you have to eat each day? To live longer, this 2021 study found that the magic numbers are:

Five fruits and vegetables (total)
To be specific, 3 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruit.
That’s it! (2)

“5-a-day” is the headline-worthy, #1 key takeaway, but the other conclusions of the study are even more interesting. The researchers analyzed the results from 2 prospective cohort studies and a meta-analysis of 26 cohort studies and found that:

5 servings of fruits and vegetables/day was associated with the lowest risk of death
Eating more than 5 per day did not show further life-extending benefits
Compared to those that consumed just 2 servings/day, 5 servings/day was associated with:
- 13% reduced risk of death from all causes
- 12% reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease
- 10% reduced risk of death from cancer
- 35% reduced risk of death from respiratory disease

Although the study showed that “5-a-day” fruit and vegetable consumption is associated with a significantly reduced risk of succumbing to the deadliest chronic diseases, keep in mind that correlation does not equal causation. The observational nature of the data is a major limitation and one that must not be understated. It is entirely possible that those that make an effort to consume 5 fruits and vegetables each day also partake in other healthy, longevity-promoting behaviors that reduce risk of disease and death.

However, the findings support a specific target to consume daily for optimal health and longevity - the minimum target for those that struggle to consume enough produce but want to live a long and healthy live. At the very least, this study shows that fruits and vegetables deserve a place in a longevity-promoting diet.

1 in 10

Again, I know I’m speaking to two very different camps:

Vegetable-Loving Victor - “John, are you nuts? I polish off 5 servings of fruits and vegetables before I even have my second cup of coffee, no problem!”
Vegetable-Loathing Victim - “John, how could I ever eat so many disgusting fruits and vegetables in one day??”

If you’re a Vegetable-Loving Victor, take your burlap sack of produce and get out of here. You do not need to read on. If you’re a Vegetable-Loathing Victim and care about your health, you need to hear my recommendations.

Only 1 in 10 of Americans consume the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables each day (according to the CDC). Now, if you’re reading Solokas Focus, you’re probably more health conscious than your average Joey Bag o’ Donuts. Regardless, the stats don’t lie - many of you find it challenging to hit your daily 5.

There are many potential reasons for your paltry produce intake. Previous studies have identified the following barriers to fruit and vegetable consumption:

You don’t have access
You can’t afford them
You don’t have time to prepare them
You don’t enjoy the taste
You have a deep-seated aversion to them as a result of years of childhood “Finish your vegetables!” screaming matches.
You can’t explain it, you just don’t like them!

If access or price of fruits and vegetables is truly an issue for you, that’s a different story (more on this in the next section), but if you’re one of the vast majority of Americans that can afford to buy fruits and vegetables and still find it difficult to consume enough, we can fix that.

Side Note - Cost-Benefit Analysis

The inability to afford fruits and vegetables, and food in general, is a very pressing issue for many Americans. If fruits and vegetables don’t fit comfortably into your budget, you might consider looking into local food assistance programs, or checking out the MyPlate recommendations on how to get the best nutritional bang for your buck. (4, 5).

That being said, if you’re using cost as a justification to choose the chips over the carrots, you’re likely mistaken. Sure, it might be slightly more expensive to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables instead of the cheapest bag of chips, but the majority of Americans perceive the price difference between minimally processed foods - produce, beans, meat and fish - and ultra processed foods - frozen pizza, T.V. dinners, and soda - to be significantly greater than it is. For most, the slight difference in price is not a significant portion of their budget (6, 7, 8).

Palate of a 4 Year Old?

Fruity Pebbles, Goldfish Crackers, Buttered Noodles, and Dinosaur Chicken Nuggets. I’ve upgraded the quality of my diet significantly since the age of 4, and my only source of fruits no longer comes only in pebble form.

Many of you, though, never outgrew your childhood palate and continue to eat the same, 0% produce diet. No judgement! I’m sure your diet is delicious and satisfying, but it will not promote a healthy and long life.

I know, you think they’re totally gross, but eating enough fruits and vegetables each day doesn’t need to be a Herculean task. To reap all the benefits of fruits and vegetables, there’s only three steps you need to take:

Understand how many fruits and vegetables to eat
???
Profit (9).

You’ve already accomplished Step 1 and after completing Step 3 you will profit in the form of a longer life, less disease, and better health. How do you complete Step 2? This is where I come in.

Step 2 - HOW to Actually Eat 5 Fruits and Vegetables

For tips and tricks on HOW to eat more fruits and vegetables, check out Part 2 of this article when it's released on Thursday. In Part 2, you will learn:

Step 2 - How to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your day
Sample “5-a-day” meal planning ideas
Why some fruits and vegetables are better for you than others
The final word on “5-a-day”

Wrap Up

Whether you like them or not, you’ve always known that fruits and vegetables are good for your health. Now, you know the exact amount you need to eat each day to reap all the benefits.

On Thursday, you’ll learn ways to include more fruits and vegetables into your diet. While I can’t guarantee that eating more vegetables will be as fun as eating a sleeve of Oreos or a bag of Lays, I will teach you some tips and tricks to make living a life full of fruits and vegetables as quick and painless as possible.

Sources:

2021 Study - To Live Longer, All It Takes is 5 Fruits and Vegetables Per Day

Key Takeaways