Make a food list

Carbonated soft drinks topped the list of all packaged goods purchased in the United States in 2007, according to research on consumer trends by The Nielsen Company. Ready-to-eat cereals were also high on the list, noted for their convenience. The trend results showed that soft drinks, refrigerated milk, ready-to-eat cereal, fresh bread, bottled water and cookies were among the 10 consumer packaged goods that generated the most sales. Snacks also ranked in the top 10 list.

Chocolate candies were purchased by 91 per cent of households, placing the category in eighth place, while potato chips came ninth with 88 per cent.

If you want to improve your diet in 2008, make a list of the top 10 food items you routinely purchase. Then make a list of what you could add/subtract to make a healthier diet. Try to have plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains on your list as well as low-fat dairy products, lean meats and high fibre foods such as beans.

- Source: www.foodnavigator.com /Copley News Service

Seniors and vitamins

If you're over 50, chances are you aren't getting the recommended amounts of vitamins and minerals from food alone, according to a new study from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The simple answer is to take supplements, but the study found that only about half of those in the over-50 age group take supplements daily.

The study was published in the August 2007 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. Researchers analysed data on 4,384 Americans over the age of 50 from the 1994-1996 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals and Diet and Health Knowledge Survey.

The group included 1,777 daily supplement users, 428 infrequent users and 2,179 nonusers.

Daily supplement users were significantly more likely to meet the Estimated Average Requirements (EAR) for vitamins A, B6 and C, folate, zinc and magnesium than those relying on diet alone. Among daily supplement users, 80 per cent or more met the EAR for vitamins A, B6, B12, C and E, folate, iron and zinc, but not for magnesium, even with the help of pills.

The USDA team concluded that a large proportion of older adults do not consume sufficient amounts of many nutrients from foods alone, and while supplements can compensate, only half of the over 50 population takes them daily. The abstract of the study can be found at dx.doi.org/10.1016.j.jada.2007/05.010.

- Source: Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter/Copley News Service