Nutrition Trends

I just returned from the American Dietetic Association's Food and Nutrition Conference in Chicago! What a wonderful conference full of all kinds of information! I will probably post blogs about different things I learned for the next few days.

One session I found especially interesting was a report on a Nutrition Trends Survey that the ADA conducts every few years.

Here are some highlights:

• Importance of Nutrition: 67% of people surveyed said diet and nutrition is "very important" to them.
  
• Whole grains: The message is definitely getting out about whole grains. 56% of people surveyed said they are eating more! 94% of respondents knew that whole grain bread is healthier than white bread.
  
• Fruits and veggies: Almost half of the respondents said they were eating more fruits and vegetables
• Trans fat: 56% of people said they have cut back on foods that contain trans fat
• Meats: 41% and 33% of people are cutting back on beef and pork, respectively
• Sugar: 20% said they were cutting back on sugar
• Omega-3's: 38% said they have increased consumption

Where do people get their nutrition information?

1. Television
2. Magazines
3. Internet
4. Newspapers
5. Family/friends
6. Doctor

Registered Dietitians were considered by 78% of the respondents to be the most credible source of nutrition information, followed by 61% saying doctors were a credible source as well.