Can low-income Americans afford to satisfy MyPyramid fruit and vegetable guidelines?

OBJECTIVE To estimate the costs of satisfying MyPyramid fruit and vegetable guidelines, with a focus on whether low-income households can bear these costs. DESIGN Descriptive analysis of the 2008 National Consumer Panel with information on the food purchases of 64,440 households across the contiguous United States was used to analyze the cost of fruits and vegetables. Costs per MyPyramid cup-equivalents were calculated by accounting for cooking yields and the portion of a food item's retail weight that is inedible. VARIABLES MEASURED Costs per cup-equivalent for less expensive fruits and vegetables by MyPyramid subgroup including whole and cut fruit, fruit juice, dark green vegetables, orange vegetables, starchy vegetables, other vegetables, and legumes. RESULTS In 2008, a variety of fruits and vegetables was available for an average cost of $0.40 to $0.50 per cup-equivalent. MyPyramid fruit and vegetable recommendations could be satisfied at this cost level. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Low-income Americans facing national average food prices can satisfy MyPyramid fruit and vegetable guidelines with a budget equal to the Thrifty Food Plan allocation to fruits and vegetables. However, many low-income households spend too much money on food that is low in fruit and vegetable content. Some money should be reallocated to fruits and vegetables.