The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

Fresh fruit, veggies may be elusive

Nutrition-wise, urban Milwaukeeans and Marquette students alike may be in trouble.

Residents may have difficulty getting access to produce and to the vital nutrition found in fruits and vegetables.

"Access (to fruit and vegetables) is one very important aspect in produce consumption," said Ruth Kava, director of nutrition for the American Council of Science and Health. Poor access to fruits and vegetables may inhibit their purchase, she said.

Milwaukee, which has a population of over half a million, has 218 grocery stores, supermarkets and delis listed in Yellow Pages, a ratio of 2,615 consumers per food outlet. Chicago, by contrast, has a ratio of 1,996 consumers per store.

Of the 168 farmer's or cooperative markets listed with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, only 12 are in Milwaukee. The scarcity of outlets for urban Milwaukeeans, including Marquette students, to purchase produce may result in them lacking important plant-based nutrients in their diets.

"It's very important for people to get fruits and vegetables in their diet," Kava said. "People who consume a lot of fruits, vegetables and whole grain products are less likely to suffer from a host of diseases."

While diseases such as scurvy — caused by a lack of vitamin C — are no longer a credible threat, a lack of produce can inflict other maladies. Besides putting themselves at risk of a vitamin or mineral deficiency, individuals who don't consume enough fruits and vegetables may not get enough plant-manufactured chemicals, disease-fighting antioxidants or fiber, said Barbara Troy, adjunct associate professor of biomedical sciences. Additionally, a diet high in fruits and vegetables appears to offer more nutritional benefits than taking a multivitamin.

"There may yet be things in fruits and vegetables that we don't have a pulse on," Troy said. "Despite the availability of many useful dietary supplements for specific

population groups, nutritional science definitely begins with this advice: Food first."

College students typically struggle with consuming enough fruits and vegetables because they lack the time to shop for and prepare them, Troy said. Marquette students, then, must face the added disadvantage of being both in school and in urban Milwaukee.

"The overwhelming comment from students is that there is so little variety (of produce) available and what there is is not appealing," Troy said.

Mike Obradovich, director of residence dining, said Marquette's dining halls make produce availability a priority.

"We have bananas, oranges, apples and seasonal fruits available every day," he said. "Daily, in the dining halls we have a green salad bar with an average of seven vegetable toppings."

"Produce is always available in the dorms," he said.

The rest of America isn't in any better shape. More than 75 percent of U.S. residents fail to meet the minimum recommended five daily servings of fruits and vegetables, according to the U.S.D.A. Excluding french fries and potato chips, the U.S.D.A. estimates Americans are eating 3.6 servings of fruit and vegetable per day. And while Americans are consuming more lettuce than ever before, fruit and vegetable consumption is on the decline.

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