Fruits and vegetables

BACKGROUND

Regular consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables is the cornerstone of a healthy diet and can lower the risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease and obesity. Insufficient fruit and vegetable intake, on the other hand, is one of the top 10 risk factors contributing to global mortality, leading to approximately 2.7 million deaths worldwide. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend an average consumption of at least 4 servings of fruits and 5 servings of vegetables per day. However, only 8% of the U.S. population consume the recommended amount of fruit, and only 6% achieve the recommended intake of vegetables.

Cardiovascular

Digestive

Immune

Endocrine

Part 1
Fruit and Vegetable Variety

VERIFICATION

If foods are sold or provided on a daily basis on the premises by (or under contract with) the project owner, then the selection includes at least one of the following:

At least 2 varieties of fruits (containing no added sugar) and at least 2 varieties of non-fried vegetables.

At least 50% of available options are fruits and/or non-fried vegetables.

On Site
Spot Check Documents
Operations Schedule

Part 2
Fruit and Vegetable Promotion

VERIFICATION

Cafeterias operated or contracted by the project owner, if present, include the following design interventions:

a.¹⁸⁰

Salad bar or similar salad-providing section, positioned in a visible and accessible location.

b.⁷³

Fruits and vegetables are visually apparent, either through display or through color photographs on the menu.

c.⁷³

Vegetable dishes are placed at the beginning of the food service line.

d.⁷³

Fruits or fruit dishes are placed in a bowl or in a stand at the checkout location.

On Site
Spot Check Documents
Operations Schedule

	Core & Shell	New & Existing Buildings	New & Existing Interiors
Part 1: Fruit and Vegetable Variety	-	P	P
Part 2: Fruit and Vegetable Promotion	-	P	P

	Commercial Kitchen	Education	Multifamily Residential	Restaurant	Retail
Part 1: Fruit and Vegetable Variety	-	P	-	P	-
Part 2: Fruit and Vegetable Promotion	-	P	-	P	-

Verification Methods Matrix

	Letters of Assurance	Annotated Documents	On-Site Assessment
Part 1: Fruit and Vegetable Variety		Operations Schedule	Spot Check
Part 2: Fruit and Vegetable Promotion		Operations Schedule	Spot Check

Standard Citations

73

**Hanks AS, Just DR, Wansink B. Smarter Lunchrooms Can Address New School Lunchroom Guidelines and Childhood Obesity. 2013. The Journal of Pediatrics, Volume 162, Issue 4, pp. 867-869.**
38.2.b	Smarter Lunchrooms Can Address New School Lunchroom Guidelines and Childhood Obesity recommends color photo of fruit and vegetables on menu selection.
38.2.d	Smarter Lunchrooms Can Address New School Lunchroom Guidelines and Childhood Obesity recommends that fruits are made available at the checkout location.
38.2.c	Smarter Lunchrooms Can Address New School Lunchroom Guidelines and Childhood Obesity recommends vegetable dishes be made available at the start of the food distribution line.

**180**

**Wansink B. Smarter Lunchrooms. In: Slim By Design: Mindless Eating Solutions for Everyday Life. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers; 2014: 185-224.**
38.2.a	In Slim by Design, Wansink notes that in one intervention in a school, positioning the salad bar away from the wall led to an increase in salad bar sales by 200 to 300 percent within a few weeks.

This is a legacy version of the WELL Building Standard. Please check the latest version here.