Recommended produce too expensive for poor

DAVIS, Calif., Nov. 1 (UPI) -- A low-income U.S. family would have to devote 43 percent to 70 percent of its food budget for fruits and vegetables to follow federal guidelines.

The federal 2005 Dietary Guidelines recommend people eat two cups of fruit and two cups of vegetables per day. The guidelines recommend eating a variety of fruits and vegetables daily, selecting from all five vegetable subgroups -- dark green, orange, legumes, starchy vegetables and other vegetables several times a week.

A market basket survey was conducted at 25 supermarkets across three time periods to allow for seasonal variation in produce prices using stores selected from census tracts with a variety of income levels in Sacramento and Los Angeles.

"Public policies should examine ways to make fruits and vegetables more affordable to low-income families," the researchers concluded.

The findings are published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.