Gallup: U.S. eating more fruit, vegetables

WASHINGTON, April 12 (UPI) -- More U.S. adults ate fresh fruits and vegetables frequently this winter than last winter, a Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index indicated.

Gallup and Healthways asked at least 1,000 Americans each day from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2011, about their eating habits as part of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index.

The percentage of Americans who ate fresh fruit and vegetables frequently in January was at 55.7 percent, February at 57.4 percent and March at 57.4 percent in 2012 -- higher than in the same months in 2011, the survey said.

Fifty-six percent of Americans reported eating five or more servings of fresh fruit and vegetables on at least four days in the previous week in 2011, down from 57.1 percent in 2010.

Americans who said they had healthy eating habits "all day yesterday," showed a slightly lower percentage of Americans reported eating healthy in January, February and March in 2012 compared with the same months in 2011.

The Gallup and Healthways data indicated eating healthy food is challenging for many Americans -- 56 percent reported eating fresh fruits and vegetables frequently and 66.1 percent reporting they ate healthy all day the day before, but 90.8 percent said they have access to affordable fruits and vegetables in their community.

The survey of 335,050 adults has a margin of error of 0.2 percentage points.