The State Of The American Diet: How Can We Cope?
This broad study of American dietary habits brings to light some general findings related to meat consumption and current dietary attitudes. The key findings are:
- Confirmation that the American diet is unbalanced. However the study finds that it is currently on target for protein, fat, and carbohydrates.
- The top five reasons Americans choose what to eat are:
- Food appeal (taste, appearance, and preferences)
- Health considerations (nutrient and calorie content)
- Weight, physical appearance and attractiveness concerns
- Food price
- Ease of preparation
- Americans are eating more prepared foods at home.
- Americans are eating more frequently at the last minute, evidenced by an increased number of daily meals and snacks, one-third deciding what to make for dinner at the last minute, and dinner selections made because they require little or no planning.
This study is based on data from cross-sectional surveys (ie, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey [NHANES], and Continuing Survey for Food Intake by Individuals [CSFII], Growing Up Today Study [GUTS]), and other national nutrition surveys since 1994.