Tomatoes and onions have the highest per capita consumption in the United States of any type of fresh vegetable in 2021. That year, the average American consumed around 18.8 pounds of tomatoes and 20.5 pounds of onions.
Vegetable production in the United States
The overwhelming majority of the vegetables produced in the United States originate from California. In 2018, California produced some 453.7 million hundredweight of fresh and processing marketing vegetables. For perspective, the first and second runner-ups in terms of vegetable production that year were Washington and Arizona, which produced 40.2 and 34 million hundredweight of vegetables, respectively.
Processed vegetables
Vegetable processing typically refers to a procedure to make vegetables ready for human consumption and to make the vegetables last longer and prevent spoilage. A few examples include canning, pickling, and freezing. Though fresh vegetables are generally considered more nutritious than canned vegetables, about 60 percent of the per capita utilization of vegetables in the United States is attributed to processed vegetables as opposed to fresh vegetables.
Per capita consumption of fresh vegetables in the United States in 2021, by vegetable type (in pounds)*
* Based on retail weight excluding potatoes, sweet potatoes, and mushrooms. ** Includes fresh and processing.
All per capita consumption figures are calculated using resident population plus the Armed Forces overseas.
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US Department of Agriculture, & Economic Research Service. (April 29, 2022). Per capita consumption of fresh vegetables in the United States in 2021, by vegetable type (in pounds)* [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved May 21, 2022, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/257345/per-capita-consumption-of-fresh-vegetables-in-the-us-by-type/
US Department of Agriculture, und Economic Research Service. "Per capita consumption of fresh vegetables in the United States in 2021, by vegetable type (in pounds)*." Chart. April 29, 2022. Statista. Accessed May 21, 2022. https://www.statista.com/statistics/257345/per-capita-consumption-of-fresh-vegetables-in-the-us-by-type/
US Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. (2022). Per capita consumption of fresh vegetables in the United States in 2021, by vegetable type (in pounds)*. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: May 21, 2022. https://www.statista.com/statistics/257345/per-capita-consumption-of-fresh-vegetables-in-the-us-by-type/
US Department of Agriculture, and Economic Research Service. "Per Capita Consumption of Fresh Vegetables in The United States in 2021, by Vegetable Type (in Pounds)*." Statista, Statista Inc., 29 Apr 2022, https://www.statista.com/statistics/257345/per-capita-consumption-of-fresh-vegetables-in-the-us-by-type/
US Department of Agriculture & Economic Research Service, Per capita consumption of fresh vegetables in the United States in 2021, by vegetable type (in pounds)* Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/257345/per-capita-consumption-of-fresh-vegetables-in-the-us-by-type/ (last visited May 21, 2022)
