Nutrition

Education Guide

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Nutrition Education Guide

By: Brian Barger

Table of Contents
Introduction
SE CTIO N 1 DIET ARY T REN DS AN D NUT RIT ION

Dietary Guidelines and Their Importance

Resource: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025
SE CTIO N 2 FOOD CHOI CES

Who Profits from Your Choices

Resource: Marion Nestle Discusses the Goal of Large Corporate Food Companies
SE CTIO N 3 FOOD CHOI CES : ECO NOMI CS

Do The Math
Resource: USDA Local Food Directory
SE CTIO N 4 FOOD CHOI CES : FOO DBO RNE I LLNESSES

Be Informed and Protect Yourself

Resource: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration
SE CTIO N 5 GENETI CALLY ENGINEE RE D FOO D

Genetic Engineering in the Food Supply Risks & Benefits

Resource: What is Genetic Engineering and the Pros and Cons of Genetically Modified
Foods
SE CTIO N 6 O RGANI C FOOD MO VEMENT

Organic or Conventional What You Should Know

Resource USDA
SE CTIO N 7 G LOBAL FOO D MARKET S

Globalization of the Food Supply

Resource The globalization of fast food, public health and why we should have an eye on
Jamaica
SE CTIO N 8 CONTEMPO RARY WE IGHT LOSS PROGRAMS

Don’t be Fooled by The Myths

Resource 20 Weight Loss Myths You Probably Believe
SE CTIO N 9 DIVERSI TY O F FO OD CHOI CES

Food Culture Everyone Has It

Resource What Food Tells Us About Culture
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Section

Dietary Trends and Nutrition

Section 1 Dietary Trends and

Nutrition
Information to Remember:
Eating nutritious foods in all stages of life is crucial to establishing a healthy foundation
that leads to a life with reduced risk of disease and an increase of overall wellness. So many of
our eating habits are established in our childhood and we often find comfort in these habits as
we age. Therefore, it is important to teach our children healthy eating habits early so that they
find nostalgia and comfort in healthy eating.

▪ Resource:
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 is well organized set of guidelines
that can be used by people of all ages to help establish or improve eating habits. The guide
establishes four guidelines that are applied across the five major life stages, Infants and
Toddlers, Children and Adolescents, Adults, Pregnant Women, and Seniors. Additionally,
the guide offers a lot of supporting data on disease prevalence, contributing factors, and
provides tools to help people integrate the principals into their lives without having to feel
like they are shackled to a strict and boring diet. (USDA 2020)

Reference

USDA. (2020, December). Home: Dietary guidelines for Americans. Home | Dietary
Guidelines for Americans. Retrieved October 19, 2022, from
https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/

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 2
Section

Dietary Trends and Nutrition

Section 2 Dietary Trends and

Nutrition
Information to Remember:
Consumers are bombarded with information constantly in the world we live in and
that information is designed to influence your decisions and usually how you spend your
money. The food industry is no exception, there are countless food providers seeking your
attention and your money and nearly all of them are selling you how good their products
are for you or at the very least that they aren’t bad. It is important to understand how these
companies are spending their money to influence policy and regulation in the United
States. Furthermore, it is important to seek out reliable information that has not been
influenced by the profit motive and is truly focused on and wellness.

Resource:
The interviews with Marion Nestle are a great place to start to understand how food
manufacturers and producers spend their money to influence the choices you make in in many
instances dictate what choices if any that you have. One such example shared in the interview
is how the producers were able to influence policy makers when establishing guidelines for
school lunches, and when they caught wind of the fact that potatoes were not going to be
recommended, they lobbied to have the policy written so that the number of servings allowed
per student could not be dictated by the guidelines. (McDougall 2015)

Reference

Dr. McDougall Health and Medical Center. (2015, June 16). Marion Nestle discusses the
goal of large corporate food companies. YouTube. Retrieved September 18, 2022,
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG0W0Mm5LTQ

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 3
Section

Dietary Trends and Nutrition

Section 3 Dietary Trends and

Nutrition
Information to Remember:
The economics of the food industry are wildly unbalanced and are at the center of
the health care crisis our country is facing. Many times, there is very limited access to
nutritious food in the mostly densely populated and poorest segments or our communities.
These food deserts are without large grocery stores or discounters that offer competitive
pricing and fresh nutritious foods. What they do have in abundance are convenience stores
that sell highly processed shelf stable foods with huge markups due to lack of competition.

Resource:
The establishment of farmers markets in these areas offer one solution to infuse
healthier choices into a community that often has limited choices. The USDA maintains a
website that lists the locations of farmers markets across the United States including
information about when the markets are open, what products are available, and payments
accepted. Additionally, the USDA lets users know if there are certified organic products
offered and if Nutrition Assistance programs are accepted and if so which ones. (USDA)

Reference

USDA. (n.d.). Local food directories: National Farmers Market Directory. Local
Food Directories: National Farmers Market Directory | Agricultural Marketing
Service. Retrieved September 11, 2022, from https://www.ams.usda.gov/local-
food-directories/farmersmarkets

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 4
Section

Dietary Trends and Nutrition

Section 4 Dietary Trends and

Nutrition
Information to Remember:
Food safety is a cornerstone of a healthy lifestyle. Even if you make the greatest
food choices of anyone who has ever lived it is all for nothing if food safety guidelines are
followed because you will find that even healthy and nutritious foods have risks and can
make you sick. The best way to avoid these risks is to educate yourself on the risks
associated with the foods you choose to eat and keep track of food safety recalls and
withdrawals.

Resource:
A great resource that can help keep you up to date on recalls and withdrawals is
maintained by the FDA. The site is updated with the most current information on recalls
and withdrawals as well as recall for drugs or medical devices. The site is organized
chronologically but can be searched by product type, brand name, retailer or most any
other term the user thinks is relevant. Additionally, the user can click through on each
event to see the status of the issue, pictures of the product, what if any cause was
determined and how to handle the food if you have it in your home, including how to
contact the manufacturer. (FDA)

Reference

FDA . (n.d.). Recalls, market withdrawals, & Safety Alerts. U.S. Food and Drug
Administration. Retrieved October 20, 2022, from
https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts

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 5
Section

Dietary Trends and Nutrition

Section 5 Dietary Trends and

Nutrition
Information to Remember:
Genetically modified foods (GMO’s) are here to stay and are difficult to avoid if
one wants to exclude them from their diet. Human beings have been manipulating the
food supply as long as they have been eating and recent advances in technology have
taken it to a whole new level. GMO’s can increase the surety of supply to meet the needs
of growing populations. GMO’s can be engineered to be less susceptible to disease,
drought and even pests to increase the availability and affordability of nutritious food.
However, the long-term impact of GMO’s on the environment and health have not yet
been well studied and are at the center of the debate that surrounds GMO’s and their
producers

Resource:
In an article published in Conserve Energy Future titled What is Genetic Engineering
and Pros and Cons of Genetically Modified Foods the author does a good job of
explaining the science behind GMO’s in terms any consumer can understand.
Furthermore, the article covers several potential pros and cons of GMO’s and serves as a
great jumping off point for anyone wanting to join the conversation and learn more about
GMO’s (Kukreja 2022)

Reference

Kukreja, R. (2022, July 27). What is genetic engineering and pros and cons of Genetically
Modified Foods. Conserve Energy Future. Retrieved October 4, 2022, from
https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/what-is-genetic-engineering.php

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 6
Section

Dietary Trends and Nutrition

Section 6 Dietary Trends and

Nutrition
Information to Remember:
Organic has become one of the hottest buzz words in the food industry in recent years
and consumers who are interested in Organic foods have a lot of options. Nearly every
category in the grocery store now has some sort of organic offering usually right next
to or very close to the conventional food equivalent. However, despite what the
marketing would lead you to believe they may not offer any better or more nutrition
then their conventional counterparts and typically they are more expensive as a result
of the certification processes, and more labor intensive farming techniques.

Resource:
The Mayo Clinic offers some great insight into organic foods and their quality and
safety. The word organic while used to imply quality, just refers to the way the food
was grown or raised and that a specific set of guidelines was followed, like no
synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or genetic modifications. All products that make
organic claims are required to carry the USDA organic seal which indicates that the
producers have been certified and vetted as an organic producer. Additionally, there is
a lot of information in the article about the potential health advantages of organic
foods. (Mayo Foundation 2022)

Reference

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2022, April 22). Are Organic
Foods Worth the price? Mayo Clinic. Retrieved October 25, 2022, from
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-
depth/organic-food/art-20043880

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 7
Section

Dietary Trends and Nutrition

Section 7 Dietary Trends and

Nutrition
Information to Remember:
Globalization of the foods supply chain is inevitable and has numerous benefits,
however it also comes with significant risks. Globalization of the supply chain has
provided consumers around the world to have access to foods that were once unattainable
or strictly seasonal. You can buy a watermelon in Indiana twelve months out of the year
only difference is in January it likely came from Central or South America and in July it
came from a farmer down the road. While these conveniences are nice to have, they come
at a cost, it takes a lot of energy to move a watermelon halfway around. However,
globalization offers opportunities for producers to prosper and grow their economy
through access to markets that were once unattainable.

Resource:
In an article published in Forbes there are some great points to consider as our Fast-
Food Culture spreads around the world. In markets like Jamaica, it has been a boom for
local farmers to be able to provide their goods to the companies who in turn sell them to
the customers creating jobs and economic growth. Additionally, because of the scale of
these companies they can establish supply chains that previously didn’t exists giving
farmers in Jamaica access to foreign markets that were unreachable. (Ewing 2019)

Reference

Ewing-Chow, D. (2019, April 19). The globalization of fast food, public health and why
we should have an eye on Jamaica. Forbes. Retrieved October 12, 2022, from
https://www.forbes.com/sites/daphneewingchow/2019/04/18/the-globalisation-of-
fast-food-public-health-and-why-we-should-have-our-eye-on-
jamaica/?sh=330aba965351

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 8
Section

Dietary Trends and Nutrition

Section 8 Dietary Trends and

Nutrition
Information to Remember:
Weight loss is big business generating billions of dollars a year for multinational
corporations, local gym, nutrition coaches and therapists. It seems every year there is a
new trendy diet plan, or supplement that guarantees results, and you won’t have to do
much work at all if any the pounds will just melt away. The reality is that eating a
well-balanced diet full of whole nutritious foods in appropriate portions while leading
an active lifestyle is the best and only way to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
Without lifestyle changes most diets, and programs fail as soon as the client reverts
back to their old habits.

Resource:
In an article published in Eat This, Not That they cover 20 weight loss myths that
many people accept as truth. This can be a great place to start so you can learn about
the pitfalls and how not to fall for marketing claims that are not substantiated. The
article covers everything from fad diets, prescriptions medications and surgical
interventions and how effective they are if at all and why most of them fail consumer
expectations. (Stiehl 2021)

Reference

Stiehl, C. (2021, June 8). 20 weight loss myths-busted!: Eat this, not that! Eat This Not
That. Retrieved October 16, 2022, from https://www.eatthis.com/weight-loss-
myths/

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 9
Section

Dietary Trends and Nutrition

Section 9 Dietary Trends and

Nutrition
Information to Remember:
We all have a food culture and weather it is deeply rooted in our ethnicity or
firmly attached to our family and where we grew up there is no avoiding it. Food is what
sustains us and make everything in our lives possible and we share it with those we are
close to. Therefore, our experiences with food create deep seeded memories and habits
that we long for to find connection and purpose. Eating a food that we had as a snack after
school that was bought from the store or sharing a traditional meal with multiple
generations will shape one’s food culture.

Resource:
Food culture as noted in the article published in Freely Magazine is a great way for
people to stay connected to their ethnic roots and retain a cultural identity. The food
culture may even provide economic opportunity when someone decides to start a
restaurant or food truck with their food culture at the center of the menu, sharing their
culture with others and helping to shape food cultures for future generations. Sharing
in these food traditions is one of the best ways to connect to other cultures both home
and abroad. (Le 2017)

Reference

Le, C. B. (2017, January 7). What food tells us about culture. Freely Magazine. Retrieved
October 25, 2022, from https://freelymagazine.com/2017/01/07/what-food-tells-us-
about-culture/

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Part 2: Cultural Food Choice Explanation and Screenshot

For my cultural dish I chose Indian Food as October 24th was the start of Diwali which is
the Hindu festival of light and one of the largest holidays celebrated anywhere in the
world. The holiday is centered on friendship and togetherness and is celebrated with
friends and family. (Sharma 2022) I have numerous co-workers and friends from India,
so we wanted to celebrate with some Indian food and I took this opportunity to try
cooking it. I love Indian food but know very little about preparing it and just eat whatever
is served because it is all so good. I chose to make a chicken dish even though most
Indian food is vegetarian, there are several traditional chicken dishes eaten throughout the
country. I found a recipe for butter chicken on Allrecipes and chose Indian style Basmati
Rice and Til Aloo (Spicy potatoes) as side dishes. I purchased all the spices and
ingredients to make the dish at the local grocery store, I mentioned we have a substantial
Indian population so some of the less common ingredients weren’t too hard to find
locally. I failed at the sauce it didn’t taste very good, so I resorted to a packaged product I
found, the rice was made with cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, cumin and an onion and
cooked in homemade chicken broth and it was outstanding. For the potatoes I opted for
sweet potatoes and seasoned them with pepper, cumin, red chili pepper, basil, garlic, and
lemon juice, also turned out great. I included a picture of the sink when I was finished
since I mentioned how big a mess I make when I cook, my wife was not impressed with
the mess, but she was a fan of the meal, I cleaned up the mess which took almost as long
as making the meal. It was a great experience and I think I will try my hand at some other
Indian dishes in the future, the flavors were great and it was really pretty easy to make.

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 References

Dr. McDougall Health and Medical Center. (2015, June 16). Marion Nestle discusses the
goal of large corporate food companies. YouTube. Retrieved September 18, 2022,
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG0W0Mm5LTQ

Ewing-Chow, D. (2019, April 19). The globalization of fast food, public health and why
we should have an eye on Jamaica. Forbes. Retrieved October 12, 2022, from
https://www.forbes.com/sites/daphneewingchow/2019/04/18/the-globalisation-of-
fast-food-public-health-and-why-we-should-have-our-eye-on-
jamaica/?sh=330aba965351

FDA . (n.d.). Recalls, market withdrawals, & Safety Alerts. U.S. Food and Drug
Administration. Retrieved October 20, 2022, from
https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts

Kukreja, R. (2022, July 27). What is genetic engineering and pros and cons of Genetically
Modified Foods. Conserve Energy Future. Retrieved October 24, 2022, from
https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/what-is-genetic-engineering.php

Le, C. B. (2017, January 7). What food tells us about culture. Freely Magazine. Retrieved
October 25, 2022, from https://freelymagazine.com/2017/01/07/what-food-tells-us-
about-culture/

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2022, April 22). Are Organic
Foods Worth the price? Mayo Clinic. Retrieved October 25, 2022, from
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-
depth/organic-food/art-20043880

Sharma, M. (2022, October 25). Diwali 2022: Know date and significance of the Festival
of Lights and Happiness: - Times of India. The Times of India. Retrieved October
25, 2022, from https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/religion/festivals/diwali-2022-
know-date-and-significance-of-the-festival-of-lights-and-
happiness/articleshow/94552520.cms

Stiehl, C. (2021, June 8). 20 weight loss myths-busted!: Eat this, not that! Eat This Not
That. Retrieved October 16, 2022, from https://www.eatthis.com/weight-loss-
myths/

USDA. (2020, December). Home: Dietary guidelines for Americans. Home | Dietary
Guidelines for Americans. Retrieved October 19, 2022, from
https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/

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USDA. (n.d.). Local food directories: National Farmers Market Directory. Local Food
Directories: National Farmers Market Directory | Agricultural Marketing
Service. Retrieved October 25, 2022, from https://www.ams.usda.gov/local-food-
directories/farmersmarkets

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