IFIC Spotlight Survey: Consumers’ Attitudes & Perceptions Of Environmentally Sustainable & Healthy Diets

A healthy and complete diet involves eating essential nutrients needed for physiological functions, which includes dietary proteins. Proteins can be consumed in various ways and are essential in our diets for maintaining muscle strength, bone health, and blood sugar control in addition to supporting the body’s immune defenses and promoting quicker healing. However, in the pursuit of both a healthful and environmentally sustainable diet, how to best access these essential proteins has come under question. Where are our purchasing decisions headed as we look to fulfill a complete, healthful, and sustainable diet? What does this mean for our plant-based and animal-based protein intake? The International Food Information Council (IFIC) commissioned an online research survey with consumers based in the US to measure knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about environmentally sustainable and healthy diets. One thousand adults aged 18+ years completed the survey from June 11-12, 2019, and responses were weighted to ensure proportional results.  Key findings include:  

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Women’s World Cup (Nutrition) Flashback: Julie Foudy on Nutrition

Sixteen years ago, I curled up on the couch with my father and grandfather. We cheered and cheered as Julie Foudy captained the US women’s team to the championship. Now, she’s championing smart nutrition! Her latest interview highlighted the importance of carbs, electrolytes, and sugar for intensity and endurance in sports. Here are a few of our faves: 1. Carbs are needed for endurance. Soccer is a 90-minute marathon … Foudy says that carbohydrates are essential. And she’s right! Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, CSSD, LDN, is a sports dietitian for professional teams including the Pittsburgh Steelers, Penguins, and Pirates; the Washington Nationals; and the Toronto Blue Jays. She highlights the carbohydrates and protein combination as ‘fuel.’ Does that mean you need to carbo-load before this kind of endurance? If you eat a diet that is at least 50% carbs at each meal, you really won’t need to carbo-load. But you may want to “top off” glycogen stores by eating or drinking a few extra carbohydrates at each meal/snack in the days leading up to events. Remember, it’s carbo-load, not carbo-OVERLOAD. 2. Our concept of sugar is too narrow. According to Foudy, “the misconception is that sugar is bad. We’re here to reassure parents and athletes and that with the appropriate amount in moderation and with activity, actually you need sugar and it can help improve performance.” The role of sugar and carbohydrates is important to think about in your recovery from training. The ultimate goal of recovery nutrition is to help your muscles fully repair and get prepared for the next workout or competition. A recovery plan should include fluids, carbohydrate, and protein. Many athletes use a recovery beverage that includes all three, such as chocolate milk, protein shakes, or smoothies made with milk or soy milk, juice, and fruit. Drinking or eating  at least 50 […]

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The Microbiome with Megan Meyer, PhD [PODCAST]

Did you know that each of our guts has a unique living community containing billions of bacteria? It’s called the microbiome, and on this edition of DataDish: Your Trusted Serving of Science, we’re taking a journey to the center of the gut, led by Megan Meyer, PhD. Megan is Director of Science Communications at the International Food Information Council Foundation. She has a bachelor’s degree in biology from Loyola University Maryland, as well as a PhD in microbiology and immunology, focused on nutritional immunology, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In this episode, Megan addresses the following topics: Enjoy the podcast! We hope you’re looking forward to learning more about the microbiome as future studies emerge.

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Consumers’ Attitudes and Perceptions of Environmentally Sustainable and Healthy Diets

Cultivating Diets That Are Both Healthy and Environmentally Sustainable Download the full report. As found in IFIC’s 2019 Food and Health Survey, environmental sustainability has become increasingly associated with the foods that we eat as well as our food purchases. Yet sustainability can mean different things to different people. According to the Journal of Environmental Sustainability, environmental sustainability is the “condition of balance, resilience and interconnectedness that allows human society to satisfy its needs while neither exceeding the capacity of its supporting ecosystems to continue to regenerate the services necessary to meet those needs nor by our actions diminishing biological diversity.” Basically, this definition refers to the condition of reducing damage to our environment (through the renewable depletion of resources) so that future generations can also meet their own needs. A healthy and complete diet involves eating essential nutrients needed for physiological functions, which includes dietary proteins. Proteins can be consumed in various ways and are essential in our diets for maintaining muscle strength, bone health, and blood sugar control in addition to supporting the body’s immune defenses and promoting quicker healing. However, in the pursuit of both a healthful and environmentally sustainable diet, how to best access these essential proteins has come under question. Where are our purchasing decisions headed as we look to fulfill a complete, healthful, and sustainable diet? What does this mean for our plant-based and animal-based protein intake? Let’s further explore findings from the Survey of Consumers’ Attitudes and Perceptions of Environmentally Sustainable and Healthy Diets to shed some light on where protein choices may be headed and what consumers perceive as constituting a well-rounded and environmentally sustainable diet. Trouble defining “environmentally sustainable” The Survey of Consumers’ Attitudes and Perceptions of Environmentally Sustainable and Healthy Diets found that 40 percent of consumers were unsure if an […]

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New Survey Shows Dairy Differences: 80% of Americans Age 55+ Consume Dairy Multiple Times a Week; A Third Under 55 Opt for Plant-Based Alternatives

(Washington, D.C.)— While foods from apple pie to hot dogs claim to be quintessentially American, few of them have the broad appeal of dairy products, which we are consuming at historic rates.  But with the proliferation of nondairy, plant-based alternatives on store shelves and in refrigerator cases, how do their consumption and popularity compare among Americans who already consume dairy? A new survey by the International Food Information Council (IFIC), “Understanding Dairy Consumers’ Purchasing Behaviors and Habits,” is providing some answers.  The survey of 1,014 American adults who consume dairy at least a few times a year compared how often and why they choose dairy products and their plant-based alternatives, with a special focus on preferences and awareness around yogurt, product labels and concepts like probiotics.  Dairy and Nondairy: Living Together in Harmony?  Despite the ever-growing options available for dairy alternatives, dairy itself remains overwhelmingly popular among dairy consumers. According to the findings, nearly three-quarters (72%) of adults who consume dairy foods or beverages do so several times a week, compared to about one-quarter (28%) who say the same of nondairy alternatives like nut-, oat- or soy-based milk, ice cream, yogurt or cheese.   Older adults have the strongest preference for dairy compared to other age groups, with four in five (80%) of those age 55+ saying they consume dairy foods or beverages multiple times per week, compared to two-thirds (67%) of 18- to 34-year-olds and 73% of those ages 35 to 54. Conversely, only 10% of adults age 55+ consume plant-based alternatives multiple times a week, compared to about one-third of younger people (34% of those ages 18 to 34 and 31% of those 35 to 54). Half of adults age 55+ say they never consume nondairy alternatives, standing in stark contrast to just under 8% of 18-34-year-olds who say the same.  When the results are broken down by specific foods, Americans prefer cheese made from dairy over plant-based versions. About three-quarters (74%) said they always choose the dairy version of cheese, while 20% sometimes choose nondairy.  Comparing other products, 68% always choose the dairy version of butter, while 23% sometimes choose nondairy; 66% always choose the dairy version of ice cream, while 26% sometimes choose nondairy; 64% always choose the dairy version of milk, while […]

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Nutrition for the Trail

The air is warm and welcoming. Flowers are full of color.  It is spring! After a long, cold winter, it is time to get outside! One of the best ways to take in spring is to visit your local, state or national park for a hike through the woods. Whether you are planning a six-month gaunt on the Appalachian Trail or spending a day at the local park, it is important to pack lightweight foods and snacks that will keep you energized and full. You don’t want to be bogged down on your journey. Be sure to pack foods that are light, but don’t skimp on nutrition and energy. A few suggestions include: Most importantly, be sure to pack plenty of fluids or a water filtration system to keep hydrated. A good rule of thumb is to drink about three liters per day depending on level of physical activity and weather.  According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), healthy adults should be taking 2.7 liters of water for women, or 3.7 liters for men. You may need even more on an active day, especially if the weather is hot. With thousands of local, state, and national parks in the United States, a beautiful trail is closer than you think. Old man winter will be back before you know it, so pack your favorite nutritious snacks and get out there!  

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Healthy Mother, Healthy Baby: Prenatal Nutrition 101

There may never be another time in your life where you receive a doctor’s order to consume 300 more calories per day! Your baby-to-be needs those extra calories. While pregnant, eating a healthy diet is crucial to making sure your baby is getting all the essential nutrients to develop properly. Before we get started, keep in mind that weight gain is a normal part of pregnancy. Not everyone will gain the same amount and that’s ok. Gaining the same amount of weight is not recommended for everyone—it depends on your starting BMI. Here’s a link to the Institute of Medicine’s guidelines. What does a healthy diet look like for a pregnant woman? Pregnancy is special time in life, so it makes sense that you have special nutritional needs. Here are a few tips to help deliver a healthful diet while pregnant: 1. Make half your plate fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables remain an important source of vitamins and minerals during pregnancy. 2. Make at least half of your grains whole. Whole grains offer key vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Enriched grains should be included in your diet, too. These grains have been fortified with B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate) and iron, all of which are important for healthy growth and development. So important, in fact, that in 1998, the United States FDA required folic acid be added to enriched flour to reduce the risk of neural tube birth defects. 3. Choose fat-free or low-fat dairy. For example, try switching to skim or 1% milk. This can help reduce your saturated fat intake. Milk products (e.g., milk, yogurt, cheese and fortified soy beverages) can be an excellent source of vitamin D and calcium necessary for your baby’s bone growth. 4. Make sure to get enough protein. Protein’s main roles are […]

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Is There a Benefit to Going “Veggan”?

How would you describe your diet? Vegetarian? Flexitarian? Do you strictly live off potatoes? Ron Swanson was a major supporter of eating an abundant amount of breakfast foods. You could fill an encyclopedia with terms people use to describe their diet. Luckily for us, you can add one more to the list. A new diet trend is sweeping the vegetarian/vegan world by storm. It’s called “vegganism.” Veggans follow the traditional vegan diet but with one egg-ception—they add eggs to their menu of options. Let’s rewind. Vegetarians do not eat fish, meat or poultry, but do eat eggs and dairy. Vegans also follow the no-meat rule, but also exclude animal products or by-products such as eggs, dairy and honey. In the past, eggs have had a bad reputation, as their yolks contain a lot of dietary cholesterol. Well, never fear. The 2015 Dietary Guidelines state that dietary cholesterol does not play a major role in blood cholesterol, adding that many more important factors affect blood cholesterol. And in fact, eggs are really good for you. Eggs are packed with protein, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats (which support a healthy cardiovascular system), and tons of vitamins that support a healthy and strong body. So why might vegans benefit from adding eggs to their diets? First of all, eggs are a good source of vitamin B12 (also known as cobalamin), which vegans and vegetarians might have a hard time consuming because it is found naturally in animal products, although it is also fortified in foods such as cereals and soy milk. Vitamin B12 is important because it helps maintain a healthy nervous system, helps the body convert food into fuel, and is needed for healthy skin, hair, eyes, and liver. Secondly, vitamin D is vital for bone health and immune function. Most Americans don’t […]

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