MAKING NUTRIENT-RICH FOOD CHOICES FIRST: KEY TO A HEALTHFUL DIET
Volume 78, Number 5 September/October 2007
Introduction
Two-thirds of adults in the U.S. are overweight or obese (1), only 10% of Americans meet the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Healthy Eating Index criteria for a healthful diet (2), and many people are not meeting recommended intake levels for several essential nutrients such as fiber, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and vitamins A, C, and E (3-5). Although most Americans understand that there is a connection between diet and health (6-8), knowledge or beliefs about healthful eating patterns are not translated into food habits (6).
Consumers are confused about how to improve the healthfulness of their diets and are tired of negative nutrition messages that focus on foods or nutrients to avoid, rather than on those to include (8,9). Defining foods or beverages as “good” based on what they do not contain (i.e., fat, saturated fat, sugar, sodium) rather than on what they do contain (e.g., beneficial nutrients such as calcium, fiber, etc.) may contribute to unhealthful eating behaviors and fail to provide people with the skills necessary to make healthier food choices (10,11).
Recognition that many Americans consume energy (calorie)-rich but nutrient-poor diets has led to renewed interest in providing information about the nutritional quality of individual foods and beverages based on their nutrient density (a ratio of nutrients to calories) (4,9-13). The concept of nutrient density underlies the “nutrient-rich” approach to healthful eating. This positive, science-based approach has the potential to help consumers choose nutrient-dense foods (i.e., those that provide substantial amounts of nutrients and relatively few calories) first, and less nutrient-dense foods (i.e., those that provide calories but few or no nutrients) as calorie needs and physical activity levels allow (9,11). Foods and beverages with a high nutrient-to-calorie ratio are “nutrient-rich,” a term better understood and accepted by people than “nutrient-dense,” according to consumer research conducted by the Nutrient Rich Foods Coalition (14). Considering that 60% of Americans attempting to lose weight say that they are trying to reduce calories (6), it is especially important to make calories count in terms of their nutritional value.
At this time when many Americans are overweight yet undernourished, people need tools to help them get more nutritional value from their calories.
The Nutrient Rich Foods Coalition is conducting scientific and market research and developing tools to help people choose foods and beverages within each food group that contain more essential nutrients per calorie. Formed in 2003, this Coalition is a partnership of leading scientific researchers, communications experts, and 12 food commodity associations representing the five basic food groups in USDA’s MyPyramid. The Coalition aims to shift the way people choose foods and beverages from focusing on “good foods” or “bad foods,” calories, or individual “nutrients to avoid,” to understanding the complete nutrient package of foods and beverages as a means to improve overall diet quality.
This Digest describes the current understanding of and support for nutrient density; discusses efforts and issues related to defining the nutritional quality of foods and beverages; and identifies tools currently available and under development to help people choose more nutrient-rich foods and beverages for a healthful diet.
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