...processors trying to convince consumers that they can get their servings without having to reach into the vegetable or fruit bin.

Companies are baking dried vegetables into crackers. They're adding vegetable bits to salty side dishes. They're mixing vegetable juice with fruit juice. (See "Your Serve," p. 11.)

But are those foods equal to real fruits and vegetables?

People who eat more fruits and vegetables have a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, and cancers of the mouth, throat, and esophagus. (1-3) How do researchers know? They compare the diets of people who get those diseases with the diets of people who don't.

And scientists know that fruits and vegetables can help prevent some problems, like obesity and hypertension, because when people are told to eat more fruits and vegetables, they lose more weight and have lower blood pressure than those who aren't told to eat more. (4,5)

In all of those studies, researchers are talking about fruits and vegetables that are "mainly in unprocessed or minimally processed forms," says Eric Hentges, director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion in Alexandria, Virginia. Some studies count juice as fruit, but none would include juice-sweetened cookies or crackers made with dehydrated vegetables.

"The science behind the recommendations to eat more fruits and vegetables...

NOTE: All illustrations and photos have been removed from this article.



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