A Dietary Assessment of the U.S. Food Supply: Comparing Per Capita Food Consumption with Food Guide Pyramid Serving Recommendations

Can children follow a fat-modified diet and have adequate nutrient intakes essential for optimal growth and development?

A Comparison of Two Methods for Estimating Food Groups According to the Food Guide Pyramid

Food Guide Pyramid Practices of the Elderly

How can the US food system deliver food products consistent with the dietary guidelines?: Food marketing and retailing: an economist's view

Impact of core and secondary foods on nutritional composition of diets in Native-American women

The dietary recommendations made for carbohydrate intake by many organizations/agencies have changed over time. Early recommendations were based on the need to ensure dietary sufficiency and focused on meeting micronutrient intake requirements. Because carbohydrate-containing foods are a rich source of micronutrients, starches, grains, fruits, and vegetables became the foundation of dietary guidance, including the base of the US Department of Agriculture's Food Guide Pyramid. Dietary sufficiency recommendations were followed by recommendations to reduce cholesterol levels and the risk for cardiovascular disease; reduction in total fat (and hence saturated fat) predominated. Beginning in the 1970s, carbohydrates were recommended as the preferred substitute for fat by the American Heart Association and others to achieve the recommended successive reductions in total fat and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Additional research on fats and fatty acids found that monounsaturated fatty acids could serve as an alternative substitution for saturated fats, providing equivalent lowering of LDL-C without concomitant reductions in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and increases in triglycerides witnessed when carbohydrates replace saturated fat. This research led to a sharper focus in the guidelines in the 1990s toward restricting saturated fat and liberalizing a range of intake of total fat. Higher-fat diets, still low in saturated fatty acids, became alternative strategies to lower-fat diets. As the population has become increasingly overweight and obese, the emergence of the metabolic syndrome and its associated disruptions in glucose and lipid metabolism has led to reconsiderations of the role of carbohydrate-containing foods in the American diet. Consequently, a review of the evidence for and against high-carbohydrate diets is important to put this controversy into perspective. The current dietary recommendations for carbohydrate intake are supported by the evidence.

Dietary Variety Increases the Probability of Nutrient Adequacy among Adults

The Power of Grassroots Commitment

The authors assessed the accuracy of college students' use of the Food Guide Pyramid (FGP) in their diets and evaluated sources of error and nutritional adequacy of the pyramid. Students enrolled in an undergraduate nutrition class (N = 346) completed 3-day dietary records that were analyzed, using computer software, to determine individual recommended dietary allowance (RDA) values and the extent to which the students' diets met those values. The students' most common error in using the FGP was underestimating serving sizes. Only 8% of the students consumed the minimum recommended number of servings for all food groups, but diets that satisfied FGP recommendations also tended to satisfy RDA requirements. Less than 2% of the students who met the minimal number of FGP servings did not satisfy their RDA values, but less than 45% of the survey participants, regardless of gender or residence, met the recommended intake for dietary fiber. The FGP was judged to be a good indicator of dietary adequacy.

The recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans are communicated to consumers through graphics, nutrition messages, and online educational resources. Awareness and use of these food guidance tools may be related to whether the individual is considering or trying to implement dietary recommendations. The purpose of this study is to describe awareness of federal dietary guidance, and to compare the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) 2010 and its 12 components by level of awareness for adults 19+ years. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and What We Eat in America (WWEIA), NHANES 2007–12, respectively, were used to determine level of awareness of either the Food Guide Pyramid (FGP) or MyPyramid (MP) and the HEI (N=14,150); MyPlate was not included due to insufficient group sizes. Participants were classified as ‘unaware’, ‘aware’, or as having ‘tried’ either the FGP or MP based on answers to three questions in the NHANES Dietary Behavior Questionnaire. The HEI and its components were compared by level of awareness using paired t‐test. Comparisons were considered significant at P<0.001. When first asked about awareness of MP, almost half were unaware; those unaware were then asked about the FGP. Overall, 22% of adults were unaware of either the FGP or MP, 54% were aware of either, and 25% had tried one or the other. The HEI (mean, (SE)) of those who had tried either the FGP or MP was significantly higher (54.5, (0.49)) than either those aware (49.9 (0.40)) or unaware (49.2 (0.35)) (P<0.001). For HEI components, those who tried the FGP or MP had significantly (P<0.001) better scores for intake of total vegetables, dark green vegetables and legumes, total fruit, intact fruit, whole grains, and empty calories vs those either unaware and aware, and for intake of seafood/plant protein foods vs those unaware. Those who tried or were aware had better scores for dairy intake vs those unaware. There were no differences in component scores for intake of refined grains, total protein foods, fatty acids, or sodium. These results provide insight about how the FGP or MP was implemented by adults, and suggest that nutrition messages provided guidance for individuals actively trying to improve their diet. Further research about MyPlate will provide important feedback about awareness of dietary guidance and its implementation.Support or Funding InformationARS‐USDA

Normal-Weight Adults Consume More Fiber and Fruit than Their Age- and Height-Matched Overweight/Obese Counterparts

Foreword. Acknowledgments. Introduction. PART I: Eat Smart, Live Well: It's About You! CHAPTER 1: Food Choices for Fitness. Fitness: Your Overall Health! What's Smart Eating? Guidelines for Americans. Your Food Choices: The Inside Story. Solutions for Healthful Eating, Active Living. PART II: Healthful Eating: The Basics. CHAPTER 2: Your Healthy Weight. Body Basics: What's Your Healthy Weight? Energy Basics: Calorie Math. Weighing the Risks. Weight Management: Strategies That Work! Too Thin--a Problem? Disordered Eating: Problems, Signs, and Help. Diets That Don't Work! When You Need Help. CHAPTER 3: Fat Facts. Fats Matter. Cholesterol: Different from Fat. Too Much of a Good Thing? CHAPTER 4: Vitamins, Minerals, and Phytonutrients: Variety on Your Plate. Vitamins and Minerals: Team Players! Vitamins: The Basics. Minerals--Not Heavy Metal. Phytonutrients--a Crop for Good Health. CHAPTER 5: Sweet Talk: Sugar and Other Sweeteners. Sugars: The Sweet Basics. Sugars Your Food. Polyols: Sugar Replacers. Intense Sweeteners: Flavor without Calories. CHAPTER 6: Fiber: Your Body's Broom. Fiber: An Important Nonnutrient. For Fiber--Variety! CHAPTER 7: Sodium: A Salty Subject. Sodium and Your Health. Sodium Your Food Choices. Flavor ... with Less Salt and Sodium. CHAPTER 8: Fluids: Often Overlooked. A Fluid Asset. What's to Drink? PART III: Smart Eating: The Consumer Marketplace. CHAPTER 9: What's on Today's Table? Food: What's in Store for You? Ensuring Your Food Supply. CHAPTER 10: Planning to Eat Smart. The Food Guide Pyramid: Your Healthful Eating Guide. What's Inside the Pyramid? Health--Wise Eating Strategies. CHAPTER 11: Supermarket Smarts. Today's Food Labels. Supermarket Psychology. Your Shopping Guide. Food Safety: Start at the Store. CHAPTER 12: The Safe Kitchen. Foodborne Illness: More Common than You Think! Checklist for a Clean Safekeeping Safe Preparation and Service Quick Tips for Injury Prevention The Eco Kitchen . CHAPTER 13: Nutrition. Resetting Your Table ... for Taste and Health. Simply Nutritious, Simply Delicious. Add Life to Your Spices--and Herbs, Too! CHAPTER 14: Your Food Away from Home. Dining for Health and Pleasure. Safe Take--Out. Fast Food, Healthful Food. Eating Ethnic Style. Eating for Travelers. PART IV: Food for Health: Every Age, Every Stage of Life. CHAPTER 15: Off to a Healthy Start. Breast--Feeding Your Baby. Another Healthful Option: Bottle--Feeding. Solid Advice on Solid Foods. CHAPTER 16: Food to Grow On. Toddlers and Preschoolers: Food for the Early Years. Eating ABCs for School--Age Children. Feeding the Teen Machine. CHAPTER 17: For Women Only. Childbearing Years: Nutrition, Menstruation, and Prepregnancy. Congratulations! You're Expecting! For Those Who Breast--Feed. Now for Menopause. CHAPTER 18: For Mature Adults: Healthful Eating! Aged to Perfection! When Lifestyles Change. Changes That Challenge. PART V: Healthful Eating: Special Issues. CHAPTER 19: Athlete's Guide: Winning Nutrition. Nutrients for Active Living. A High--Performance Diet. Making Weight. The Game Plan. Ergogenic Aids: No Substitute for Training. CHAPTER 20 The Vegetarian Way. Being Vegetarian. Vegetarian Diets: Nutritionally Speaking. Throughout the Life Cycle. Vegging Out the Healthful Way! CHAPTER 21: Sensitive about Food. Food Intolerances and Other Adverse Food Reactions: Copycat Symptoms. Food Allergies: Commonly Uncommon. CHAPTER 22: Smart Eating to Prevent and Treat Disease. Your Healthy Heart. Blood Pressure: Under Control? Cancer Connection. Diabetes: A Growing Health Concern. Osteoporosis: Reduce the Risks. Gastrointestinal Conditions. Anemia: Tired Blood. Food and Medicine. CHAPTER 23: Supplements: Use and Abuse. Dietary Supplements: What Are They? Supplements: Safe? Effective? If You Take a Supplement. PART VI: Resources: More about Healthful Eating. CHAPTER 24: Well Informed? Need Nutrition Advice? Be Your Own Judge! Case against Health Fraud. Resources You Can Use. Appendices. 1997--2001 Dietary Reference Intakes. Protein: 1989 Recommended Dietary Allowances. Growth Charts: Body Mass Index for Children and Teens. Body Mass Index for Adults. Carbohydrates Common Foods. % Daily Values: What Are They Based On? Health Claims on Food Labels. Functions of Selected Additives. Index.

F ederal dietary guidance outlined in the 2000 edition of Dietary Guidelines for Americans and depicted in the Food Guide Pyramid is intended to help consumers choose diets that improve health, reduce their risk for dietrelated chronic disease, and meet their nutritional needs (fig. 1). The Food Guide Pyramid helps consumers put the Dietary Guidelines into practice by recommending the type and quantity of foods to eat from five major food groupsgrains (bread, cereals, rice, and pasta), vegetables, fruit, dairy (milk, yogurt, and cheese), and meat (red meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, and nuts). The Pyramid also suggests that consumers use fats, oils, and sweets sparingly. The Dietary Guidelines recommend that Americans limit total fat intake to no more than 30 percent of calories, saturated fat intake to less than 10 percent of calories, and dietary cholesterol to less than the Daily Value of 300 milligrams a day listed on the Nutrition Facts Label. Information about consumers' eating patterns, if different from these recommendations, helps consumers make dietary adjustments and helps policymakers and nutrition educators target educational messages effectively. For example, analyses of food supply data, adjusted for spoilage and waste, by USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS) suggest that the average American diet is heavily weighted to added fats and sugars found at the tip of the Pyramid and falls short of recommendations for fruits and dairy products. And many consumers need to change the mix of foods in the meat, vegetable, and grain groups to meet recommendations for dietary variety and selected food components, such as fiber, total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol.

Food Consumption Patterns of Elementary Schoolchildren in New York City

I t may be chic in the current milieu of diet-health mania to say one has cut back on meat and refined sugars, and people report as much in numerous consumer surveys. However, U.S. per capita food supply data indicate that Americans consumed record-high levels of caloric sweeteners and total meat (red meat, poultry, and fish) in 1994. And, forecasters predict still higher consumption in 1995 and 1996. The American diet has changed considerably over the past decade. Beef consumption, for example, fell 14 percent between 1980-84 and 1990-94, while chicken consumption rose 37 percent and turkey 67 percent (table 1). Egg use also declined, while cheese consumption increased steadily. Consumption of fresh produce reached a record-high level in 1994 (with kiwifruit one of the biggest gainers, increasing 267 percent between 1980-84 and 1990-94). Diet and health concerns, as well as changing relative prices and increases in real (adjusted for inflation) disposable income, compelled these changes in U.S. food consumption. New products-particularly more convenient ones-also have contributed to shifts in consumption, along with an aging population, expanded advertising campaigns, smaller households, more two-earner households, more singleperson households, and an increasing proportion of ethnic minorities in the U.S. population. USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS) estimates per capita food consumption, based on food disappearance data (see box). These data represent the amount of food available for human use. They are used as a proxy to estimate human consumption, even though the data may overstate what is actually eaten because they represent food supplies available in the market and do not account for waste.