Latest from Food Politics: The diets of most Americans do not meet dietary recommendations

An as yet unpublished evaluation of how well American diets adhere to the dietary guidelines comes to an alarming conclusion: 86. 3% are of poor quality.   The study comes from researchers at the University of California San Francisco and Nourish ...

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By Marion Nestle July 31 2025 The diets of most Americans do not meet dietary recommendations An as yet unpublished evaluation of how well American diets adhere to the dietary guidelines comes to an alarming conclusion: 86.3% are of poor quality.  The study comes from researchers at the University of California San Francisco and Nourish Science. The study: Understanding Sociodemographic and Dietary Determinants of Cardiometabolic Risk: Cross-Sectional Evidence from the U.S. Healthy Eating Index to Inform Diet Quality Categories. Methods: The authors used dietary recall data from the 2009-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) and compared participants’ dietary intakes to the Healthy Eating Index. Results: Compared to adults with high diet quality, those with very low diet quality consumed: Less unprocessed or minimally processed foods, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and seafood More ultra-processed foods, refined grains, and red and processed meats They also were more likely to be overweight, have lower HDL cholesterol, but higher triglycerides, fasting glucose, and hemoglobin A1c (a marker of type-2 diabetes). The authors explain their study in an Infographic and a YouTube video. NHANES collects dietary intake information from representative population samples by interview. The Healthy Eating Index (HEI) was developed in 1995 as a tool to measure adherence to recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.  It is calculated on the basis of foods consumed and calories, sodium, saturated fats, and total fats. The results of this study lead to obvious policy recommendations for healthier eating: More unprocessed or minimally processed foods, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and seafood Less ultra-processed foods, refined grains, and red and processed meats __________ Forthcoming November 11, 2025: What To Eat Now   The post The diets of most Americans do not meet dietary recommendations appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle      Related Posts Alcohol in the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines: The Rumors MAHA: Let the lobbying begin   Read More » ​​​​​​​ Marion Nestle Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University, Emerita © Marion Nestle. You're receiving this email because you've signed up to receive updates from us. If you'd prefer not to receive updates, you can unsubscribe. Safely Unsubscribe • Archives • Preferences • Contact • Subscribe • Privacy

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