For a fresh orange, weight adjustments are made to account for the inedible peel and seeds. Eight out of 62 fresh and processed fruits cost less than 40 cents per cup equivalent in , and another 21 fruits cost less than 80 cents per cup equivalent. Fresh whole watermelon, at 20 cents per cup equivalent, and apple juice made from concentrate , at 26 cents, were the lowest priced fruits, while fresh blackberries, fresh raspberries, and canned cherries were the most costly. A greater share of vegetables 77 percent than fruits 47 percent cost less than 80 cents per cup equivalent.
Among all 92 fresh and processed vegetables examined, ERS researchers found that heads of Romaine lettuce, fresh whole carrots, canned green beans, and 13 other products cost less than 40 cents per cup equivalent in , while 55 vegetables, including canned whole kernel corn, fresh whole mushrooms, and canned tomatoes, cost between 40 and 79 cents. Fresh, canned, frozen, dried, and percent juice count equally toward recommended intakes for both fruits and vegetables.
However, Americans are encouraged to consume more whole fruit raw, canned, or frozen than juice to raise intake of dietary fiber.
They are also encouraged to eat a variety of vegetables from each of five subgroups: legumes, dark green vegetables, red and orange vegetables, starchy vegetables, and other vegetables. Each daily combination includes 2 cup equivalents of fruit and 2.
A previous ERS analysis based on prices revealed that 2 cups of fruit and 2. Retail fruit and vegetable prices rose 2. City operation balances social distancing, customer access. Growers eye regionally adapted seeds. Expert cites anti-disease properties of peptides for use in specialty crops.
For that matter, the satiety may be different between 1, calories of avocado, with its high oil content and creamy texture, and 1, calories of grapes or oranges with high sugar content, or 1, calories of lettuce. Then there is immediate satiety vs. This all plays into how much produce and what types people will be satisfied with and thus what they actually will buy. In this sense, this study is sort of abstract, assuming people will buy based on cost rather than taste, satiety, etc.
There is something rather quaint about this study. It is almost as if we are transported back to the 50s, and Donna Reed, never having a job outside the home, expects to spend hours preparing meals for her family.
One reason my personal produce consumption continues to grow is because I buy so many convenience items. I have pre-chopped onions to throw in my omelet, or there would be no onions in my omelet in the morning. The family loves watermelon, but we buy a lot of fresh-cut watermelon.
A head of cabbage? We love stuffed cabbage, but that is a prepared-food purchase for us. Otherwise it is like proving cars are affordable by pointing out how much they cost without power steering, power breaks and with manual transmissions. Less than three percent of new cars sold in America have manual transmissions. In reality, all of the fresh-cut and prepared fresh produce items exist because the cost of an item includes the time required to prepare it. So, the portrait of the industry portrayed in this study is not the produce industry as it actually exists today.
One thing the study does not address is whether consumers actually get the full benefit of fresh produce prices as low as these. If a consumer buys fresh fruit to make a morning breakfast smoothie but then gets called away on business or to take care of a sick parent or just is in the mood for something else, that produce may go rotten.
If the consumer buys the exact same fruit in a frozen or canned form rather than fresh, nothing is lost. If a consumer buys a box of mac-n-cheese, the product lasts virtually forever. Then there is this: Produce does not have consistent flavor. But produce is variable by time of year, variety, growing condition and lots more. Shopping at the farmers' markets can save you big bucks and time, too. When you buy goods directly from the farmer, you cut out the middle man—and the markup.
Plus, you won't have to wait in those long lines at your local grocery store. To save money on gas and food, start a garden. Tending to fruits and veggies is a great way to burn calories and serves as an opportunity to teach the entire family about agriculture and healthy eating. To free up funds for fruits and vegetables, the United States Department of Agriculture suggests cutting back on things like sugary sodas and candy, and canned soups, frozen meals and chips, which are all huge salt mines.
Think you don't have enough cash to meet the daily recommended intake of fruits and veggies? Eating produce isn't nearly as expensive as most Americans believe, a new study finds.
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