The $54.6 billion vegetables category continued its steady year-over-year growth fueled mostly by sales of fresh produce, including fresh-cut salad. Consumers are eating and buying more vegetables, at home and away, and are looking for freshness, convenience, and nutrition. Despite category interest, consumers still want more information about product nutrition, preparation, and origin. Looking forward, overall sales growth will be minimal, when accounting for inflation; however, interest in organics and increasing food prices should also contribute to future category growth.

This Report covers the US market for vegetables, which are defined as follows:

• Fresh vegetables – including random weight whole vegetables and packaged uniform-weight vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, or spinach

• Shelf-stable vegetables – including canned/jarred and dried vegetables. Among the vegetables covered in this segment are:

• Broccoli

• Carrots

• Corn

• Onion

• Spinach and other leafy greens

• Mushrooms

• Potatoes/sweet potatoes

• Tomatoes

• Beans, peas, other legumes

• Mixed vegetables

• Other vegetables

• Frozen vegetables – including boxed/bagged plain vegetables such as spinach or broccoli sold in the freezer section

• Fresh-cut salad – including pre-cut lettuce, spinach, and kale, as well as packaged salad mixes

Excluded from the scope of this Report are:

• Vegetable juices, drinks, or smoothies

• Refrigerated prepared side dishes that include vegetables

• Tomato sauce, paste, and puree, and tomato or vegetable-based pasta/cooking sauces

• Instant potatoes

• Fruit, which will be covered in Fruit – US, July 2016

Note: The market size for this Report differs from the market size included in Vegetables – US, June 2015 because of differences in segment coverage. For example, the market size for this report includes dried beans, canned/bottled tomatoes, and frozen and canned/jarred potatoes, which were not included in the 2015 market size.