The US is a nutrient focused food culture. It’s not that nutrients aren’t important. As an RDN, I know why nutrients are fundamentally important. But as a cook and a private chef and a NOVA enthusiast, I believe food should come first.
Nutrition correctness was formalized here in the US during the 1990s. The Nutrition Facts Label as mandated by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) appeared on food product in 1994. The FDA extended the privilege to restaurants on a voluntary basis in 1997.
In 2022, the FDA proposed an update to the use of the term “healthy” of food products. This proposal reflects the combined food & nutrient approach laid out in our Dietary Guidelines to food products. It’s estimated that only 4% of the food products available on supermarket shelves would qualify to make the claim as proposed.
Today’s stats reflect a bleak picture of our collective American ability to follow what our dietary guidelines have characterized as a “healthy” eating pattern. The current Dietary Guidelines are a report card on our compliance with the recommendations. Our collective score is 59 out of a possible 100 – a failing grade.The next edition of our Dietary Guidelines is scheduled for 2025
To learn more about the problems I have with the FDA proposal, check out the Dialogue I developed for the IFT Digital Magazine “The Missing Ingredient in FDA’s Proposed Rule”. The focus of my Dialogue is the FDA but my observations apply as well to the nutrient focused approach of our Dietary Guidelines.
