Teen Fruit and Vegetable Consumption

More teens eating fruits and vegetables in recent years.

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Eating enough fruits and vegetables is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, especially for teens. Although teens need a healthy and balanced diet to meet their physical needs due to growth, development, and activity, most do not meet the dietary recommendations of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). In 2025, 31.9% of King County teens in grades 8, 10 and 12 ate five or more fruits and vegetables per day.  

 

  • Trends: There was a decrease in the percent of King County teens who ate five or more fruits and vegetables per day between 2008 (27.6%) and 2018 (20.5%). However, starting in 2021 (25.6%) this percentage has been trending upwards, landing at 31.9% in 2025.  

  • Grade level: Fruit and vegetable consumption decreased with grade level, from 38.5% among 8th graders, 31.5% among 10th graders and down to 26.9% among 12th graders.  

  • Sexual Orientation: Lesbian, gay or bisexual teens had a lower percent of fruit and vegetable consumption (24.2%) than teens that identified as heterosexual (32.6%). Teens who indicated they were ‘not sure’ of their sexual orientation had the highest percentage of fruit and vegetable consumption (36.7%). 

  • Race/Ethnicity: White students had the lowest percent of fruit and vegetable consumption at 27.9%. Middle Eastern/North African teens (41.0%) and teens of Other Race (37.8%) were more likely to eat five or more fruits or vegetables per day than other race/ethnicity groups of students. Disaggregated data shows some differences in fruit and vegetable consumption by Asian ethnic group. Teens of Other Asian descent (45.2%) and Asian Indian teens (41.8%) had higher percentages than that of Asian students overall. 

Additional Resources 

 

Notes & Sources

Source: Healthy Youth Survey. 

To learn more about the Healthy Youth Survey and view the data biography, click here. 

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