Since March is National Nutrition Month, it’s a great time to talk about fruits and vegetables. Are you getting enough of them in your diet?! A recent government study shows that adults in the U.S. aren't consuming healthy amounts of produce.

The study does suggest that nearly all adults get some vegetables every day, with about 95% of U.S. adults reporting they eat some amount of vegetables on any given day. On the other hand, only about two-thirds said the same of fruit -- down significantly from 20 years ago.

Experts called the finding on vegetables an encouraging sign and a bit of a surprise. But the survey looked only at "any" consumption of produce, and not whether Americans were eating recommended amounts each day. The federal government's Dietary Guidelines for Americans call for adults to eat about 2 to 3 cups of vegetables per day.

And research has shown that 90% of Americans do not meet that goal, said Connie Diekman, a St. Louis-based registered dietitian and former president of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Given that, Diekman said "it's actually a surprise" that so many Americans say they get some vegetables and fruit each day. But is that because a lot of people reported their French fry intake? It's not clear.

Survey respondents noted their consumption of "starchy" vegetables, including potatoes, but not whether they were of the salty, fast-food variety. Regardless, researcher Nicholas Ansai saw the findings in a positive light.

"This isn't commenting on whether people are getting enough fruits and vegetables, but it's good to see that most people are getting some each day," said Ansai, of the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) in Hyattsville, Md.

When it came to fruit, about two-thirds of Americans surveyed said they had at least a serving each day, often whole fruit. Roughly 30% had citrus, melon or berries, while 47% said they had some other form of whole fruit. That, Ansai said, was down from 1999 and 2000, when 77% of Americans surveyed claimed they had consumed fruit each day.

Health experts have long encouraged Americans to eat more fruits and vegetables. For individuals, Diekman said the ideal is to eat a variety of whole fruits and vegetables -- greens, reds, oranges and all other colors -- over the course of a week.

There is a place for home-juiced vegetables, Diekman said, since some people find them to be convenient and palatable. But, she added, "I suggest saving the solid to add to soups or stews, preserving the nutrition."

Source: HealthDay News; The Staywell Company; NCHS Data Brief