I was reading a blog I got from New Hope and thought it might be fun to share Eating Habits in America 2018. They concentrate more on ‘trends’. I am more interested in telling you about the research they share and exploring how, as one of the many food leaders, we can get you into a healthier state.
Label Insight, a product transparency company, released the results from a national consumer survey of 1,023 Americans conducted by Wakefield Research on eating habits in 2018. The survey found that most (67 percent) Americans will be prioritizing healthy or socially conscious food purchases in 2018.
I think that’s not as true in the midwest or even Texas, as here in California. It’s one of them many reasons I’m so grateful to be in a land that welcomes plant based eaters and encourages healthy eating in general. Not to say we don’t have our share of junk food and ice cream parlours…. but for example, this Saturday I’m taking a group of people around the store Jimbos, talking to them about how to pick their produce at its’ freshest, what ingredients to pair together for a healthier meal, what ingredients to substitute in to make their meals healthier, etc. And there’s a need for it.
Today’s world has me seeing that most people are cutting back on sugars. People are looking for good ingredients instead of artificial colors and flavors, in their effort to find out what they should be eating.
For many Americans, maintaining healthy or socially conscious eating habits will mean choosing a gluten-free, vegan, ketogenic or Paleo diet to serve as a guide, but these methods are not equally appreciated among the generations. In fact, 1 in 5 (20 percent) millennials report they are likely to follow one of these diets in 2018, while only slightly more than 1 in 10 (11 percent) of Baby Boomers expect to do likewise. While Baby Boomers lead the pack when it comes to cutting out sugar, they may be less eager to follow the stricter rules of these popular diets.
That’s me. A Baby Boomer. And we were raised with very strict diets. We followed Weight Watchers and counted calories, then points. We ate pre-packaged food from Jenny Craig. So I guess many people are conditioned to ‘diet’.
But I always say: You go on a diet? You go off a diet. It’s just not sustainable. I personally have made little lifestyle changes. And that’s been my biggest help in slimming down and getting healthier. A couple of years ago, when I went to plant based eating my cholesterol dropped from 350 down to 150. Now that’s a lifestyle change I can live with! lol
The survey I quoted above showed people wanting “insight and clarity” from the labels they read.
And I agree. Sometimes it’s hard to know what the label is saying. Did you know ‘natural flavors’ could mean they put MSG in the ingredients? ha! I thought not.
But what’s even worse for me is the size of the lettering. Can you read the ingredients? Really?
Well, most of the time, I can’t. The font is just way too small. And maybe that’s their point. Food companies are required to ‘post’ ingredients. If you can’t read it you don’t know. So I think there’s more regulations needed about the size of the writing!
Well, I hope you are thinking about what you are eating in the New Year, and if you need some help with it, reach out to me. I can certainly steer you in the right direction!
Healthy Happy Eating,
