Americans think they are eating well; in fact, 60% say they eat a very healthy diet. However, perception and reality may not be aligned. Recent research conducted by ORC International on behalf of MegaFood, Manchester, NH, found that 62% of U.S. adults admit to eating just 1-2 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, despite recommendations from the USDA to eat five or more servings per day. Only 6% of Americans report eating five or more servings per day, leaving a sizable nutritional gap to fill.
 
As part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) survey, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) identified that 30 million Americans are deficient in vitamin B6, a nutrient found in foods like bananas and avocados, which plays an important role in the production of fuel and energy and is critical for the optimal function of the brain, nervous and immune systems. Survey results reveal the nutrition misperception persists here as well, as 52% of adults reported that they believed they get enough B6 in their diet.
 
More than two thirds (67%) of adults believe they can get all of their nutrients by eating a healthy diet, which may not be realistic.
 
“My experience consistently shows me that a large number of Americans live high-carb, high-sugar, caffeine-overloaded, stressed-out, no-exercise lives,” said Tieraona Low Dog, MD, an internationally recognized expert in the fields of integrative medicine, herbal medicine and dietary supplementation, and author of National Geographic’s Fortify Your Life: Your Guide to Vitamins, Minerals, and More. “We may have good intentions when it comes to eating well, but the truth is that many of us fall short of an ideal diet—and that even when we do our best to eat well, it is extremely difficult to get all the nutrients we need on a regular basis with diet alone.”
 
For example, adults would need to eat one of the following foods every day to get the recommended daily value of vitamin B6:
 

• 3 medium bananas
• 12 Tbsp. roasted sunflower seeds
• 3 3/4 cups cooked lentils
• 3 1/2 cups raw diced avocado
• 20 Tbsp. peanut butter

 
Despite the challenge of getting all needed nutrients through their daily diet, two in five (42%) adults reported that they do not take a multivitamin. When asked what lifestyle changes they planned to make in 2017, just one in five (18%) planned to take a multivitamin. Survey respondents reported their top reason for not taking a multivitamin as “just not really thinking of it” (30%).
 
Megafood Takes Steps to Close the Gap, Help Cure Nutritional Poverty
To help address this significant nutrition and awareness gap, MegaFood is asking Americans to pledge to improve their own life while also the lives of others. The MegaPledge campaign is MegaFood’s next step toward curing nutritional poverty. They’ll motivate people to take action and pledge to close their nutritional gap by taking a multivitamin, and help support someone in need with a 1-for-1 pledge and product donation. By paying it forward, they aim to improve lives twofold.
 
Just for pledging, the first 20,000 pledgers will receive a $5 MegaFood coupon to use on their next purchase and all pledgers will be entered to win a year’s supply of MegaFood multivitamins and a grand prize trip for two to a wellness retreat getaway.
 
Consumers can visit megafood.com/megapledge to take the one-click pledge.
 
Additionally, MegaFood is teaming up with Wholesome Wave, a non-profit organization that empowers underserved consumers to make healthier food choices by increasing affordable access to fresh, local food. With every pledge, MegaFood will donate two servings of fruits and veggies to someone in need—up to 40,000 servings.
 
“We’re thrilled to partner with MegaFood in their campaign to cure nutritional poverty,” said Chef Michel Nischan, founder and CEO of Wholesome Wave. “With their support, we will empower scores of families to afford locally grown fruits and vegetables.”
 
“The MegaPledge campaign is just one of the first steps in support of our company’s larger vision to cure nutritional poverty,” said MegaFood CEO Robert Craven. “We began this mission in 2016 by partnering with three New England retailers to establish community gardens in areas that significantly lacked access to healthy food, and the MegaPledge is our next big undertaking to address the fact that most Americans are sadly just not getting what they need in terms of nutrition.”
 
MegaFood’s multivitamin line features eight products formulated to support the health of men and women during various phases of life. Formulated by integrative medical doctor and best-selling author, Dr. Low Dog, each multivitamin offers 70% or more of the suggested Daily Value intake of key nutrients in just two tablets, and features the active form of B6, methylated B12 and folate, vitamins K1 and K2, and choline based on her recommendations for optimal dietary supplementation.  
 
Survey Methodology
ORC International conducted this research on behalf of MegaFood via an online survey among a representative sample of 1,025 U.S. adults (514 men and 511 women) 18 years old or older; the study was fielded Jan. 5-8 using ORC International’s twice-weekly Online CARAVAN Omnibus Survey.