Results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007-2008)
Nutrition Journal, 03/21/2014 Clinical Article
Jahns L, et al. – The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) recommend that individuals age two years and older reduce intakes of solid fats (SoF) and added sugars (AS; together SoFAS). MyPlate, illustrates the proportions of five major food groups to promote healthy eating (Vegetables, Grains, Protein Foods, Fruits and Dairy). Results suggest that the high proportion of SoFAS in each recommended food group makes it challenging for Americans to reduce their intake of SoFAS.
Methods
- To assess if the foods currently consumed by Americans are in concordance with the DGA, food consumption data from What We Eat In America, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (WWEIA-NHANES) 2007-2008 (n = 8 527) was used to estimate the proportion of foods that contained SoFAS and to report them by food group.
- Weighted analysis was conducted to be nationally representative.
Results
- The dairy group contained the highest proportion (93%) of either SoF or AS, followed by grains (70% SoF; 70% AS; 50% both). Fruits contained the least SoFAS (7%).