It’s no secret that most children don’t like to eat their vegetables.
We can all relate to memories of puckering up at the bitterness of brussels sprouts and dodging the “airplane” spoon as our parents fought tooth and nail to get our younger selves to choke down a few peas.
It’s also a rite of passage for children to begin liking – even loving – vegetables as their palates mature and they become more interested in a wholesome meal than the next sugary fix.
However, even for Americans with the most refined palates, at least one or two vegetables remain solidly on the “nope” list for all eternity. Whether it’s their texture, taste, or a combination of both, we simply refuse to allow them near our plates no matter how healthy dietitians, experts, and mothers claim them to be.
As we mused over our own childhood scorn of nature’s bounty, we wondered about America’s vegetable preferences, too. Which ones weaseled their way into hearts and bellies across the country? Which ones didn’t make the cut?
To find out, we asked 4,900 Americans which vegetables they loved and hated the most. Read on to discover which veggie claims the most and least plate estate in your state.
Americans showed up in support of a variety of vegetable delights. Everything from potatoes to carrots to broccoli secured a much-deserved spot on the map above.
Most notably, potatoes dominated the map. States from all regions picked the humble spud as their favorite, and why not? It’s a versatile food whether baked, roasted, mashed or added to a hearty winter soup. Potatoes are also crammed with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals to ensure a delicious AND healthy meal.
On the other hand, the only state to choose mushrooms as its winner was Missouri, where mushroom hunting is a popular pastime in the spring.
But which vegetables failed to win over American taste buds?
Despite the proud rally cry from Missourians, it appears that many states would rather leave mushrooms on the forest floor than add them to their plates. The fungi were voted worst by a plethora of states, perhaps due to their rubbery caps, otherworldly gills, or their undeniable relationship to mold.
We’re with Missouri on this one on record, but nevertheless, we get that mushrooms’ texture and overall appearance don’t appeal to everyone.
In a surprising twist, cucumbers also received a widespread vote of no confidence. We’re not sure what Americans have against their crisp crunch and unassuming flavor–they’re easy to add to salads, incredibly nutritious, and happily grow in backyard gardens! Surely the green gourd doesn’t deserve this level of flak…even if it is botanically a fruit.
Leading the charge as America’s most prized vegetable is the potato, earning favor in a whopping 23 states. The other half of the country is split between Broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, and garlic, winning 15, 6, 3, and 2 states respectively.
The most unloved vegetable was undoubtedly the mushroom, turning up noses in 16 states. It was trailed by cauliflower, the least favorite of 8 states and the only vegetable to make its mark on both lists.
Celery tied with the white crucifer, likely owing to its bland and stringy nature. But we secretly think those who voted against celery just haven’t tried ants on a log. Following up in fourth and fifth place were cabbage and asparagus, with 5 and 6 states lamenting their existence overall.
Of course, claiming to enjoy vegetables isn’t going to magically impart their nutritional value. You actually have to eat them! So, how do Americans do when it comes to including vegetables in their diets?
We know the standard American diet is not especially good at incorporating vegetables. But surprisingly, nearly 70% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they do eat enough vegetables day to day. Only about a quarter of respondents disagreed and less than 5% strongly disagreed that they eat enough vegetables.
That is an encouraging number, but with a third of respondents not eating enough vegetables, we wanted to learn more about the biggest challenges people face when incorporating them into their diets.
Price and taste were the top two barriers to eating more vegetables, making up more than half of the responses combined. Lack of knowledge about cooking and preparing vegetables was a challenge for 17% of respondents while no reliable or convenient access stopped 15% from eating more veggies. Concern about pesticides was an issue for 11% of respondents and just 4% said they can’t tell when vegetables are ripe.
When Americans do eat vegetables, sit-down meals like lunch and dinner are the most common times, with dinner making up almost two-thirds of vegetable consumption overall. We saw breakfast and snacks (6% and 1.3%, respectively) as missed opportunities to grab a quick slice of avocado toast, celery with peanut butter, a green smoothie, and a host of other simple yet delicious recipes that incorporate veggies
We were heartened to see so much love for veggies coming from this survey. We strongly believe that all vegetables are nutritious, can be flavorful when prepared correctly, and can be easily grown at home in many areas across the country.
So why not broaden your horizons and have some fun by planting something new in your vegetable garden this spring?