Improving fruit and vegetable consumption will require a holistic approach

This is a common refrain, spoken by everyone from doctors to health policymakers to parents, and with good reason: These foods are rich in a broad range of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and dietary fiber that are essential for good health. Yet globally, fruit and vegetable consumption is far below what is recommended by the World Health Organization, and poor diets remain a primary cause of malnutrition, and the leading cause of disease, worldwide. Improving diets, including increasing fruit and vegetable intake specifically, could save one in five lives annually.