Top 5 Takeaways About Fiber, Fruit & Vegetable Consumption & Its Impact On The Gut Microbiome

Over the past few years, the terms “microbiome” and “gut health” have exploded into the public consciousness due to an increase in newly published scientific research, media coverage, health and wellness trends, and food and beverage product innovation. Interestingly, Google Trends data show a steep incline in the amount of people searching for “microbiome,” indicating a steady increase in public awareness and curiosity in what factors impact our gut health. The gastrointestinal tract is home to trillions of microbes, collectively called the gut microbiome. The amount and types of bacteria found in our gastrointestinal tracks and our entire bodies can vary drastically from person to person, and there has been some debate about what makes up a “healthy” human microbiome. Specifically, there is great interest in the health impact of consuming fiber-rich foods, including fruits and vegetables, on the gut microbiome. Researchers focused on the gut microbiome extensively examine how dietary choices can impact the gut microbial profile, including the influence of prebiotics and probiotics from foods and beverages. This new and emerging research field has shed additional light on the fact that eating more fruits and vegetables is important for positive health outcomes. While this connection may not be surprising, it is troublesome when we consider that most people do not consume the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables. The International Food Information Council (IFIC) Expert Webinar, “An Apple A Day? Emerging Research On The Impact Of Fruits, Vegetables & Fiber On The Gut Microbiome,” explored how fiber-rich foods, including fruits and vegetables, impact the gut microbiome, as well as new research on the diverse makeup of prebiotic and probiotic availability in fruits and vegetables and potential positive health impacts. Here are the top takeaways from the webinar, featuring Dr. Katrine Whiteson and Dr. Wisnu Wicaksono (of the Dr. […]

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Top 5 Takeaways On Sodium: Insights, Impacts, & Innovations For Public Health

Top 5 Takeaways On Sodium: Insights, Impacts, & Innovations For Public Health The antidote to dietary doldrums, salt, that unassuming crystalline ingredient that makes many foods taste better, is found widely in the food supply. In the form of sodium chloride, simple table salt is the culinary component that, when added in the right amount, elevates an eating experience beyond the mere simplistic. While a little salt certainly can go a long way, the American consumer is more accustomed to ingesting a lot: sodium is overconsumed by all age groups, according to the 2020 – 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. With this in mind, the International Food Information Council (IFIC) commissioned consumer research on sodium and further examined the topic through an educational webinar, “Sodium Shift: Insights, Impacts, & Innovations For Public Health.” The most salient takeaways from the webinar include: Salty is one of the basic tastes, and salt acts as a potent flavor enhancer. Doing much more than imparting only a salty taste, salt can “…improve the perception of product thickness, enhance sweetness, mask metallic or chemical off-notes, and round out overall flavor while improving flavor intensity.” High-salt usage emerged between 5,000 to 10,000 years ago, and its shortage can engender food that tastes bad. Playing a role in food fermentation and preservation, salt shows up in a range of cultural foodways, including spice blends and condiments, such as fish sauce, soy sauce, and pepper sauce; sardines and anchovies; and cured meats. Besides the broad culinary contributions, salt has a storied past at the center of political and economic disputes. For starters, sodium is an essential nutrient in human nutrition. The body cannot store large amounts of sodium, which is critical for muscle function, including the heart, and keeping the nervous system working properly. Furthermore, sodium helps control […]

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Food Trends to Watch in 2020

Intuitive Eating and the “Un-Diet”; Sustainability (Finally!) Takes Shape; New Food Tech Gathers Momentum (Washington, D.C.)—As a new year and new decade offer opportunities to take stock of where we’ve come and to anticipate the changes ahead, the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation is forecasting five broad trends for food and nutrition in 2020.  “Each year, our team of registered dietitians, nutrition experts and consumer researchers takes a look at what we can expect in the coming year,” said Joseph Clayton, president and CEO. “In 2020, we predict that topics surrounding sustainability, alternative foods and healthy diets will move in some unexpected directions.”  Sustainability: From Buzzword to Specifics   Interest in sustainability has grown for the past few years, and while in 2020 the topic will mature and evolve, confusion still surrounds the exact definition of sustainability.  For several years, the IFIC Foundation’s annual Food and Health Survey asked whether sustainability was a factor in consumers’ food and beverage purchasing decisions. Between 2012 and 2018, that number ranged between 35% and 41% of consumers.  However, when the 2019 Survey asked whether “environmental sustainability” was a factor in purchase choices, that number dropped to 27%, indicating that consumers’ notions of sustainability extend beyond just the environment. When it comes to environmental sustainability, consumers are eager to know and do more. According to the 2019 Food and Health Survey, 63% said it is hard to know whether the food choices they make are environmentally sustainable. Among that group, nearly two-thirds (63%) say environmental sustainability would have a greater influence on their choices if it were easier to know.  Consumers also consider factors such as the labeling of various product ingredients and attributes, along with production methods and food packaging, to be under the sustainability umbrella. We can also expect concepts like soil health and regenerative agriculture—“giving back to the land” rather than just conserving resources—to gain traction in 2020.  A New Climate for What We Eat   On an almost daily basis, […]

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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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2022 Food & Health Survey: Diets, Food Prices, Stress and the Power of Gen Z

(Washington, D.C.) — Major changes in Americans’ food attitudes and behaviors are emerging in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the 2022 Food & Health Survey conducted by the International Food Information Council (IFIC).  The 17th annual survey of U.S. consumers has revealed a substantial impact of stress on the way we eat, significant increases in the adoption of specific diets and eating patterns, concerns over food and beverage prices, and the food priorities and buying power of Gen Z.  “Even more so than in past years, the 2022 Food & Health Survey is showing sharp changes, over a relatively short period, in many of our beliefs and behaviors when it comes to the foods we purchase and consume,” said IFIC CEO Joseph Clayton. “Some of these changes are clearly attributable to the lasting scars of the pandemic, while others bear all the hallmarks of significant generational shifts,” he added.  The 2022 Survey involved 1,005 adults ages 18–80, and for the first time it also included an oversample of adult Gen Z consumers, ages 18-24.   The Emerging Influence of Gen Z  Gen Z might be the youngest cohort of adults, but they are beginning to flex their consumer muscle in ways that previously haven’t been seen, driving attitude changes on sustainability and the environment across the broader population. Nearly three-quarters (73%) of Gen Z believe that their generation is more concerned about the environmental impact of food choices than other generations, followed closely by Millennials (71%), with whom they share many perspectives and common purchasing behaviors. Compared with Baby Boomers, Gen Z is more likely to purchase products labeled as “Small carbon footprint/carbon neutral” and “Plant-based.”   And yet, some of Gen Z’s viewpoints may come as a surprise: compared with Millennials, they are less likely to believe that […]

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Food Trends for 2023 Will Include Wellness Drinks, Gut Health, Plant-Based Food Innovations, Confusion Around New Labels and Terminology

(Washington, D.C.) — With issues like inflation, supply chain disruptions, technological advancements and changing consumer desires, the food system is experiencing a dizzying level of change and unpredictability. But despite that instability—or because of it—several food trends are emerging for 2023, according to the International Food Information Council (IFIC). Among them are healthful beverages, demands for probiotics and protein, a focus on food labels and a lens on diversity in food systems. Drinking Our Way to Wellness In 2023, wellness will continue to be top-of-mind for many consumers, but it will increasingly come in liquid form, driven in large part by consumers looking for added benefits like energy, mental health and gut health support. IFIC’s 2022 Food and Health Survey found that “more energy and less fatigue” were the most sought-after benefit from foods and beverages, with 37% of Americans saying so. You can expect to see options that cater to those wishes multiply, such as “alt caffeine” choices to old standbys like coffee and tea. Along with yerba mate, keep an eye out for more yaupon tea, a lower-caffeine alternative with a sweet flavor profile, which is derived from a species of holly native to the deep South. Mocktails and nonalcoholic cocktail options continue to take up more and more real estate on menus and grocery store shelves, and are especially popular among younger consumers. Perhaps a reaction to the early days of the pandemic (where alcoholic sales and consumption spiked), be prepared to see a growing wave of nonalcoholic options not just during Dry January and Sober October. While energy was the most sought-after food benefit for all adult population groups, according to the 2022 Food and Health Survey, “emotional/mental health” was among the top three sought out by Gen Z, with more members of the generation desiring […]

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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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