Why should we even eat fresh produce?  The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) takes an annual telephone survey (the world's largest such survey, in fact) of various risk factors or risky behaviors in which Americans engage.  They found that consumption of fruits and vegetables has consistently gone down over the past few years, and that less than 75 percent of the U.S. population is getting the recommended 5+ daily servings.

Why is this?  Convenience, personal taste, and even addiction to fast food certainly contribute to the decline.  Maybe it's just not part of our national consciousness, or culture; we tend not to make eating vegetables a priority in the same way as, say, meat.