On the Menu: Americans fail to follow healthy diet guidelines
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In 1999, "Sesame Street's" Cookie Monster started chomping on veggies and calling cookies "a sometimes food."
In 2003 McDonald's introduced entree salads to its menus, and in 2009 first lady Michelle Obama planted a vegetable garden on the White House lawn.
While nutrition advice has changed many times over the years, the message to eat more vegetables has been both constant and consistent. But just because we've heard the message doesn't mean that we're changing our behavior.
According to a recent release from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2009, only about a quarter of Americans 18 and older reported eating vegetables three or more times per day, far below the 2010 goal of 50 percent.
As the nationwide obesity crisis intensifies and health costs rise, we've only become more aware of the substantial role that diet plays in our health.
"A healthy diet that's rich in fruits and vegetables may help reduce the risk of diseases such as stroke, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and even certain types of cancer," said Heather Mangieri, a local sports dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. Vegetables are also "gold stars" of weight control because they "pack a lot of nutrition, but they don't have a lot of calories," she explained.
Despite these impressive benefits, vegetable consumption faces a number of barriers. "[People] perceive them as costly," Ms. Mangieri said. "Parents will tell me their children won't eat them, so they wind up in the garbage can."
People also think of vegetables as time consuming and difficult to prepare.
As vegetable consumption has remained stagnant, the 100-calorie snack pack industry is thriving, according to the Grocery Manufacturers Association's 2010 Health and Wellness survey.
"People are replacing vegetables with convenience foods," Ms. Mangieri said. "It's easier to reach into your cabinet to grab a 100-calorie snack than it would be to grab a carrot, peel it and slice it. A lot of these 'healthy processed foods' have taken the place of consuming whole foods."
First Published October 17, 2010 12:00 am
