Here are my thoughts as a Registered Dietitian
Transforming the overall health of our population will require significant effort—not just from policymakers, but also through honest self-reflection and personal accountability.
The food environment needs to be transformed for everyone, including individuals with limited resources and low incomes. This is a complex challenge. At the same time, we must critically evaluate our own habits. Both of these realities are true and can be addressed simultaneously.
A Few Stats to Ponder
- The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 recommend limiting intakes of added sugars and alcoholic beverages.
- Only 12.2% of adults meet the daily fruit intake recommendation, and 9.3% meet the daily vegetable recommendation.
- The average American diet scores 59 out of 100 on the Healthy Eating Index (HEI), which measures how closely a diet aligns with the guidelines. (taken straight from the USDA Dietary Guidelines website).
Why is this important?
It is clear that the guidelines (while imperfect), are not being followed. One question to be asked might be – WHY? I suspect the answer to that highly depends on who you are asking. Low income populations likely don’t have access to whole foods whereas higher income populations might have entirely different reasons (palate preference, stress, mental health, lack of nutrition education, etc). Perhaps a combination of these.
Undoubtably, daily habits can be a huge contributor to health. Daily movement (within your personal perimeters), hydration, mindful food portions, sufficient protein intake and adding in more plant foods has the capacity to make a huge difference. Even if these foods are canned, frozen, dried, or fresh. (The conversation about organic vs non organic can be saved for another time.)
A Word to Fellow Health Professionals (Especially Dietitians)
As nutrition professionals, we need to do better. Our clients need our support more than ever to navigate THEIR environment and THEIR circumstances.
A Call to Action
It starts with taking ownership. The choices we make are within our control. While we may not all have the same starting point, there’s still plenty we can accomplish with the resources we have. Small, manageable steps—like moving more, staying hydrated, reducing soda intake, or adding a single vegetable or plant-based food to each meal—are a great place to begin. Consistency with these small changes can lead to big results. You hold the power to make it happen. And it’s okay to ask for help.
Here to empower you.
Thank you for reading,
Crystal McLean, MS RD LDN
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