National Eat Your Vegetables Day is on Thursday, June 17, 2027, and it falls on June 17 every year. It’s a friendly nudge to put more vegetables on your plate. Mid-June is a great time for it, with gardens and farmers markets filling up with fresh produce.
When Is National Eat Your Vegetables Day?
It’s always June 17. It’s an unofficial food day, not a federal holiday. Grocery stores, school programs and nutrition groups sometimes use it to promote healthy eating.
Who Started the Day?
No founder or start year has been documented. The idea behind it, though, has a long public health history.
Federal food guides have urged Americans to eat more vegetables for decades. Today’s guide is MyPlate, which the USDA introduced in 2011. It shows a plate with half its space for fruits and vegetables.
The advice hasn’t fully landed. A CDC report published in January 2022 looked at 2019 survey data from adults in every state. Only 10% of adults ate enough vegetables, and just 12.3% ate enough fruit.
Some groups fell even lower. Only 6.8% of adults with low incomes met the vegetable goal. Kentucky had the lowest state rate, at 5.6%.
Why Vegetables Matter
The gap between advice and habit is the reason for the day. Vegetables are low in calories and packed with nutrients that many people miss.
New Mexico State University Extension lists several benefits. Fiber helps lower cholesterol and supports digestion. Potassium helps keep blood pressure healthy. Folate helps the body make red blood cells.
A diet rich in vegetables may also lower the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and some cancers. Vitamin A supports eyes and skin, and vitamin C helps wounds heal.
How Many Vegetables Do You Need?
Most adults need 2 to 3 cups a day under MyPlate guidance. Women ages 19 to 50 need about 2½ cups, and men in that age range need about 3. People who exercise more may need extra.
Each of these counts as 1 cup:
- 1 cup of raw or cooked vegetables
- 2 cups of raw leafy greens
- 1 cup of cooked dry beans or peas
- 1 cup of 100% vegetable juice
MyPlate also sorts vegetables into five groups: dark green, red and orange, starchy, beans and peas, and “other.” Eating from each group across the week gives you a wider mix of nutrients.
How to Celebrate National Eat Your Vegetables Day
- Add one more: put an extra vegetable on your plate at each meal today.
- Hide them in favorites: stir grated carrots or zucchini into sauces, meatloaf or casseroles.
- Fire up the grill: grilled peppers, onions and zucchini make an easy summer side.
- Swap the base: try spiralized zucchini in place of pasta or riced cauliflower in place of rice.
- Shop the season: buy what’s fresh at a farmers market, or keep frozen vegetables without sauces on hand.
- Cook with kids: let children wash, tear or stir vegetables. They’re more likely to taste what they helped make.
- Wash produce well: rinse vegetables under running water just before eating, even if you’ll peel them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do frozen vegetables count?
Yes. Frozen vegetables count toward your daily total. Pick plain ones without added sauces, and skip bags with lots of ice, which can mean they thawed and refroze.
Do potatoes count as a vegetable?
Yes. MyPlate places potatoes, corn and green peas in the starchy vegetable group. Aim to mix them with other groups during the week.
Should I wash produce with soap?
No. The USDA doesn’t recommend soap or produce washes. Plain running water is the advice, along with keeping raw vegetables away from raw meat.