Caution with Cyclospora

Recently, you may have stopped to wonder if something hazardous is lurking in your salad. Many of us love eating fresh vegetables as a way to reach MyPlate goals, but none of us want to get queasy in the process. While we aim to keep our prepared and ready-to-eat foods safe for consumption, there are times when microbial contaminants can slip past our “food safety defenses” and cause illness. Case in point: an infamous microbial fiend that has been influencing our food system lately. Parasite Patrol In late July 2018 the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a public health alert on salad mixes, as well as beef, pork and poultry salad wrap products that were potentially contaminated with an infectious parasite. The culprit that caused the alert and a significant number of food recalls was Cyclospora cayetanensis. The company that produced the Cyclospora-contaminated salad mix, made up of romaine lettuce and carrots, reported to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that the carrots in the mix went to only specific restaurants and did not reach other markets or restaurants. However, the salad mix producer also reported that the romaine lettuce also was distributed to other locations and was used for a variety of salad wraps. As of Aug. 2, 2018, the FDA tallied 395 laboratory-confirmed cases of Cyclospora infections across 15 states, resulting in 16 hospitalizations but—thankfully—no deaths. Learning More About Cyclospora Cyclospora infections most often are linked to people living or traveling in tropical or subtropical regions. However, in the United States foodborne outbreaks linked to Cyclospora have been linked to various imported fresh fruits and vegetables (as noted above). Cyclospora differs from other microbial pathogens, such as bacteria and viruses, in that it is a parasite. According to the Centers for Disease Control […]

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A Background on Carbohydrates and Sugars

This article provides an overview of how carbohydrates and sugars are classified, common types that are found in foods, their impact on health and what the latest dietary guidance recommends about their consumption. Carbohydrates are one of the three basic macronutrients needed to sustain human life—the other two are fats and proteins. Carbohydrates encompass a broad range of fibers, starches and sugars. Foods that contain carbohydrates provide a variety of other important nutrients to the diet (such as vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants). Carbohydrates occur naturally in whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains and dairy products. Carbohydrates are in most packaged foods as well. Carbohydrate classification The basic building block of a carbohydrate is a simple union of the elements carbon, hydrogen and oxygen (CHO). The chemical definition of a carbohydrate is any compound containing these three elements which typically has twice as many hydrogen atoms as carbon and oxygen atoms (CH2O). Some types of carbohydrates may have more carbon atoms than oxygen atoms, but all carbohydrates will have twice as many hydrogen atoms as oxygen atoms (CxH2yOy). There are three classifications of carbohydrates: sugars (these include monosaccharides and disaccharides), oligosaccharides and polysaccharides. Saccharide originates from the Greek word for sugar, “sákkharon.” Mono-, di-, oligo- and poly- refer to the number of sugar units present in a carbohydrate. Sugars in foods When you hear the word “sugar,” you likely think of the white granulated version found in sugar bowls and tabletop packets. That type of sugar is called sucrose. But there are many other types of sugars, all of which scientists classify according to their chemical structures. Simple sugars are called monosaccharides; these are made up of single sugar molecules. The three main monosaccharides that we consume are fructose, galactose and glucose. These monosaccharides combine in various pairs to […]

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The Healthy Dietary Patterns Highlighted in the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans

We recently summarized the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), which were released in December 2020. In case you missed that article, here is a refresher: The DGA provide science-based advice on what to eat and drink to promote health, reduce the risk for chronic disease and meet daily nutrient needs. The DGA are the foundation of federal food, nutrition and health policies and programs, and they have been revised every five years since 1980. The 2020–2025 DGA provide four overarching guidelines that encourage healthy eating patterns at each stage of life, stressing that many individuals will need to make shifts in their food and beverage choices to achieve a healthy eating pattern: These guidelines are not intended to be overly prescriptive; rather, they are meant to be customized based on an individual’s personal preferences and needs. This article focuses on the first guideline—following a healthy eating pattern at every stage of life—and explores the three recommended eating patterns that are highlighted in the DGA. The Importance of Healthy Dietary Patterns A hallmark of the DGA is the importance placed on healthy dietary patterns as a whole—rather than on individual nutrients or foods in isolation. But what is a dietary pattern? A dietary pattern is the combination of foods and beverages consumed over the course of any given day, week, or year. As a result, dietary patterns can be more closely associated with overall health status and disease risk than consumption of individual foods or nutrients. According to the DGA, a healthy dietary pattern consists of nutrient-dense forms of foods and beverages across all food groups, in recommended amounts, and within calorie limits. As with the previous version, the 2020–2025 DGA provide examples of three dietary patterns that align with DGA recommendations; they are defined as Healthy U.S.-Style, Healthy Vegetarian […]

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Dietary Guidelines for Americans for Adults Ages 19-59

Adulting can be hard. We are constantly juggling priorities, including work, family, school, a social life and so much more. While healthy eating can be daunting to add to the mix, it doesn’t have to be.  In fact, eating healthy foods can help us manage the stress that comes with adulting. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) provide special nutrition considerations for adults – essentially, what Americans should be paying particular attention to during adulthood. The DGA provide science-based advice on what to eat and drink to promote health, to reduce the risk of chronic disease and to meet nutrient needs through every stage of life, including for adults. Here are a few places to start:  Go Big on Bone Health Calcium and vitamin D are important for healthy bones when we’re young and as we age. Calcium is in dairy products, canned sardines and salmon and some leafy green vegetables. Vitamin D is found naturally in fish like salmon and trout, and most milk is fortified with vitamin D. Many foods are fortified with both calcium and vitamin D, including breakfast cereals and plant-based dairy alternatives. Focus on Fiber  Fiber is good for heart health, digestive health and more, but most of us don’t get enough of it. Try to incorporate fruits, vegetables, beans and lentils into meals and snacks. Additionally, look for breads, cereals and pasta made with whole grains. Get Cooking Cooking at home can be a great way to learn new skills, while enjoying quality time with your friends and family – it’s also easier on your wallet than takeout. Try out recipes that balance the food groups in MyPlate and you’ll be on your way to building healthy, nutrient-dense meals. Remember, what you put on your plate is just one piece of the health puzzle, but it’s a very important one. Check out our video above to learn more […]

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Portion Size

Let’s get wise on portion size! The IFIC Portion Size Toolkit helps make the concepts of serving size versus portion size clear and approachable to support more informed decision making about food and nutrition.

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Protein

What is protein? What are protein food sources? What is the recommended protein amount? In the IFIC Protein Toolkit, you’ll find insights, continuing education, resources and more to support your protein exploration and communication. 

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Snacking Series: How to Make the Most of Eating Between Meals

Snacking is a fact of life for most of us. Research shows that, in America, about 25 percent of our daily calories come from snacks. Despite their ubiquity, snacks have developed a bit of a bad rap. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) warn against eating too many snack foods and call out snacks as a significant source of calories. But the DGAs also include an important caveat: Not all snacks are created equal. Before we dive into whether or not snacks are beneficial for our health, let’s define the word. The definition of a “snack” is a little complicated. Technically, a snack is any portion of food that is consumed between the traditional three meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner. We often think of snacks as smaller in portion size than a meal. But as eating patterns have evolved over time, the line between what and when something is a snack or a meal has blurred. Some people may replace a meal with a smaller “snack-sized” portion of food, while others eat more frequent, smaller meals throughout the day. For our purposes, we’ll define snacks as a smaller portion of food. Now that we know what we’re working with, let’s address one common question: Are snacks bad for our health? Some research has suggested that calories Americans get from snacks have increased, but without a corresponding increase in important nutrients like fiber, protein, vitamins or minerals. This is also referred to as an increase in the “energy density” of snacks. But that doesn’t mean that all snacking leads to negative health consequences. Quite the contrary. Here are three things to keep in mind about snacking. 1. Snack with a Purpose You can snack with purpose and pick snacks that are more nutrient-dense. This means choosing snacks that help you […]

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Americans Grade Themselves Better Than Average For Diet Healthfulness  

New Research Reveals Rising Awareness Of Dietary Guidance, Label Information & Ultraprocessed Foods  (Washington, D.C.) — Americans are paying closer attention to what’s on their plates and demonstrate greater awareness of dietary guidance, label information, and ultraprocessed foods. In fact, according to the 2025 International Food Information Council (IFIC) Food & Health Survey, Americans grade their personal diets higher than the average Americans’ diet.  “With the upcoming release of the MAHA Commission Strategy Report and the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, food, nutrition and health are poised to take center stage in the national dialogue,” said IFIC President & CEO Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, MS, RDN. “Before diving into these critical conversations, we must first listen to the consumer: How do they perceive their own eating habits, and how do those perceptions measure up against national recommendations?”  In 2025, 64% of Americans graded their own diet as a B– or better, while only 24% gave the same grade to the average American’s diet. While the grade given to their personal diets has not significantly changed since Americans were last to examine their diets in 2013, there is improvement in the grade given to the average American diet—up 11 percentage points since 2013.   “When we look at the research results, it echoes what we found more than a decade ago—that people perceive their own diets to be healthier than that of the average American. While this trend continues, we also see that Americans see improvement in the diets of their fellow Americans,” said Kris Sollid, RD, IFIC Senior Director of Consumer Insights & Research.   Dietary Guidance Reaches More Americans  Awareness of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) continues to grow. In 2025, 44% said they know at least a fair amount about the DGA, nearly double the share from 2009. […]

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