THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBING
Be first to read the latest tech news, Industry Leader's Insights, and CIO interviews of medium and large enterprises exclusively from Food and Beverage Tech Review
THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBING
By
Food and Beverages Tech Review | Tuesday, March 28, 2023
Stay ahead of the industry with exclusive feature stories on the top companies, expert insights and the latest news delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe today.
The importance of food education cannot be overstated given that relationships with food are deteriorating and seem to be getting harder over time, the rise in chronic diseases linked to diet, and the media's frequent presentation of contradictory nutrition messages.
FREMONT, CA: The importance of food education cannot be taken for granted. It is becoming increasingly difficult for patients to navigate this complex environment on their own, emphasising the growing need for healthcare professionals and educators to reconsider how we talk about food with our patients. Food literacy is a term that has been used frequently and broadly across healthcare disciplines, in a variety of contexts and scenarios.
Food literacy is defined as the collection of interconnected knowledge, skills, and behaviours required to plan, manage, select, prepare, and eat food to meet needs and determine intake. It enables individuals, households, communities, or nations to protect diet quality and strengthen dietary resilience through change, and it reflects a wide range of food-related outcomes such as life skills, ecological sustainability, and economic growth.
It is important to think about food literacy when assisting patients in understanding health and well-being and taking into account the many influencing factors of their dietary choices. A variety of food literacy-related factors, in particular, influence how different people consume dairy. As a result, healthcare professionals must consider these factors when providing advice in order to encourage the consumption of nutritious foods such as dairy foods.
Introduce balanced diets to patients
A balanced diet consists of eating a wide variety of foods from each of the five food groups. It is critical to remember that there is no correct way to eat and that a healthy, sustainable diet takes into account an individual's preferences, traditions, culture, and budget.
• Plenty of different types and colours of vegetables, as well as legumes/beans
• A selection of fresh fruits
• Pieces of bread, cereals, rice, pasta, noodles, polenta, couscous, oats, quinoa, and barley are examples of grain (cereal) foods that are mostly wholegrain and/or high in cereal fibre.
• Fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds, and legumes/beans are all good sources of protein.
• Milk, yoghurt, cheese, and/or substitutes.
Use hands-on activities including reading food labels and demonstrating portion sizes.
Understanding how to read food labels and navigate health marketing can help people make healthier food choices, as can understanding recommended serving sizes. Consider the distinctions between dairy and plant-based alternatives. According to research, many plant-based dairy alternatives struggle to replicate dairy's unique nutrient package, with a wide range of nutritional quality, particularly in protein, vitamin A, riboflavin, cobalamin, iodine, and zinc content. The implicit belief that these alternative products are healthier may harm calcium and zinc intake, emphasising the importance of educating consumers.
Overcoming common roadblocks by providing small, actionable solutions
Empathise with your patient and discuss mutually agreed-upon, actionable changes to address their identified challenges.
• Cost help patients understand that healthy eating is for everyone, regardless of income or budget, where applicable. If fresh fruits and vegetables are unavailable, suggest frozen or canned alternatives. Discuss affordability and nutrient density in the case of dairy products–dairy foods provide a cost-effective way to pack high-quality calcium, protein, and 10 essential nutrients into a healthy, balanced diet.
• Time limitations Encourage home cooking by suggesting at least one cooked meal per week. If time is limited on weeknights, suggest preparing batch meals on the weekend that can be eaten throughout the week.
Healthcare professionals must emphasise tailored nutrition and lifestyle counselling across all health disciplines. Healthcare professionals are best positioned to help individuals make better, more informed lifestyle choices, which leads to chronic disease prevention, management, and improvement. Improving food literacy is the first step towards healthier eating habits.
I agree We use cookies on this website to enhance your user experience. By clicking any link on this page you are giving your consent for us to set cookies. More info