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This nasty habit of skimping on fruits and vegetables doesn't just take a major toll on our health. A new report released by the Union of Concerned Scientists quantified that not eating fruits and vegetables could also be taking a big monetary toll on the U.S. economy.

The average American eats less than a cup of fruit a day along with 1.6 cups of vegetable, which is well below the recommended amount for good health.  According to the calculations, just by adding one portion (or a half-cup) of fruits and vegetables a day could result in savings topping more than $2.7 TRILLION. The savings come from both medical expenditures and sustained lives.
“UCS estimates that a sustained one-serving average daily increase in fruit and vegetable consumption would have generated an annual $5 billion savings in 2010 medical expenditures,” the researchers wrote. “If Americans increased their consumption to meet federal dietary guidelines, the savings would rise to $17 billion annually."

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