Iowa ranks as the 14th healthiest state in the nation, according to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index. But there’s plenty of room for improvement. Our state falls short by ranking dead last in fruit and vegetable consumption.

Crops and farmers markets are abundant in the state, so why is it that so many Iowans struggle to incorporate healthy produce in their diets? Iowa State University human nutrition professor Ruth Litchfield, who is a nutrition extension state specialist, credits this deficiency to what is readily available in our environment.

“You don’t see a lot of fruits and veggies readily displayed at our convenience stores and gas stations,” Litchfield said. “What our...