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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – A new study concludes that 9 out of 10 Americans fall short on key nutrients. Though 11 gap nutrients were identified, potassium, fiber, vitamin D and calcium had the biggest shortfall when it came to meeting daily recommendations. How can that be when two-thirds of adults and one-third of children in the US are overweight or obese? Sadly, weighing too much can mean someone is overfed but not necessarily well fed.
The nutrient shortfalls are not due to inadequate amounts of food but to inadequate amounts of foods that are rich in nutrients. Put simply, we eat too much sugar and fat and far too few fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lowfat dairy foods. An astounding 97% of the population does not get enough potassium, 96% do not eat enough fiber, 69% do not get enough vitamin D and 64% do not get enough calcium.
Americans eat only 42% of the recommended daily servings of fruit and 59% of vegetables. Before you pat yourself on the back regarding the vegetable intake, realize that French fries count! The whole grain shortfall is the biggest, with only 15% of Americans eating the recommended 3 servings of whole grains a day. This is one of the easiest shortfalls to fix – oatmeal, popcorn, whole wheat bread, pasta and cereal are all available, good tasting and easy to prepare. We simply need to buy and eat more of them.
Overall, 85% of Americans do not drink enough milk. Milk is a great source of calcium, potassium and vitamin D – the 3 remaining shortfall nutrients. Instead of the recommended 3 cups a day, the usual intakes of milk are: 1.4 cups for adult women, 1.7 cups for teen girls, and 2.1 cups for preteen girls. Boys fare better coming closer to 2.5 cups a day, but adult men drink only 1.75 cups of milk daily. Milk’s shortfall begins at about age 9 and decline thereafter.
A guiding principle of nutrition education is that small consistent changes can make a big difference over time. A glass of lowfat milk each day and a bowl of whole grain cereal or a sandwich made of whole grain bread would go a long way toward closing the nutrient gap in Americans’ diet.
To encourage all of us to make one small achievable change, the Milk Processor Education Program, better known as the National Milk Mustache “got milk” Campaign have initiated a Pour One More education program. This public health message, with the help of the latest milk mustache good-will ambassador Susan Sarandon, debuted this month and will be rolled out in print and media ads.
Many may disagree with this promotional campaign because it does not address the needs of those who follow a vegetarian diet or who are unable to tolerate fluid milk. These concerns are justified but both of these groups are smaller segments of the US population. For vegetarians, there is often less of a nutrient shortfall because they eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains than meat eaters. Good calcium sources include fortified soymilk and tofu, along with green leafy vegetables.
For those with lactose intolerance, milk is not off limits. Smaller serving sizes, such as a half glass, are often well tolerated. And, yogurt, kefir and lowfat chocolate milk can be consumed by many without discomfort.
Pour One More may not be the perfect message for everyone, but if it reminds all of us to put down soda and find a healthier alternative, it has done a good job.
© NRH Nutrition Consultants, Inc.
Jo-Ann Heslin, MA, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian and the author of the nutrition counter series for Pocket Books with 12 current titles and sales of more than 8.5 million books. The books are widely available at your local or on-line bookseller.
Current titles include:
The Diabetes Counter, 4th Ed., 2011
The Protein Counter, 3rd Ed., 2011
The Calorie Counter, 5th Ed., 2010
The Ultimate Carbohydrate Counter, 3rd Ed., 2010
The Complete Food Counter, 3rd ed., 2009
The Fat Counter, 7th ed., 2009
The Healthy Wholefoods Counter, 2008
The Cholesterol Counter, 7th Ed., 2008
For more information on Jo-Ann and her books, go to TheNutritionExperts
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