Come on people, eat your vegetables!

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, per capita domestic use of all vegetables, melons, potatoes, sweet potatoes, pulse crops, and mushrooms fell 3 percent to 428 pounds in 2006. Most of this reduction was due to consumer's lower use of head lettuce and processed tomatoes. Use of fresh market vegetables (including melons, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and mushrooms) totaled about 222 pounds, down 1 percent from a year earlier.

Consumption rose for crops such as asparagus, snap beans, cabbage, cauliflower, bell peppers, garlic, and romaine and leaf lettuce but fell for crops like head lettuce, spinach, celery, onions, pumpkins, and tomatoes.

Read more: Vegetables and Melons Outlook