The study found that Americans eat a lot of unhealthy foods with the exception of school
Schools Over the United States of America More is needed Food rich in nutrients from RestaurantsAccording to researchers from Tufts University.
a New study Conducted by Gerald J. And Dorothy R. Friedman Nutrition Science and Policy at Friedman University The results have been published Who analyzed the diets of 40,000 adults and 21,000 children between 2003 and 2018.
In the last year of the study, more than half of the meals served in US restaurants were identified as “poor food quality.”
Sixty-five percent of the meals prepared for the restaurant grown ups It was rated “of poor quality” while 80% of children’s meals prepared in restaurants were rated equally.
In schools, only 24% of meals provided were of poor nutritional quality. However, the study acknowledged this The Healthy and Zero Hunger Children Act The federal government that was approved in 2010 influenced its findings by strengthening legislative policy funding for infant feeding programs with the US Department of Agriculture.
Eligible catering programs that play a role in providing nutritious food to students include the School Breakfast Program and the National School Lunch Program, as well as the Summer Food Service Program when the school is not in session. The foods served through these programs usually provide whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes rather than the high-sugar, refined, or processed foods common in restaurants.
Data from the 16-year study reportedly showed that “poor nutritional quality foods consumed by restaurants” only decreased from 85% to 80%. On the other hand, schools have lowered the malnutrition rate from 57% to 24%.
The survey said Americans waste hundreds of dollars on fruit every year
Likewise, US workplaces and grocery stores have reduced low-nutrient foods, albeit by a slim margin over the past 16 years.
According to the study, the consumption of nutrient-poor foods in the workplace decreased from 56% to 51%, while the same thing happened in grocery stores nationwide from 40% to 33%.
Tufts University researchers say schools across America offer more nutritious foods than restaurants. (IStock)
Schools are now the healthiest places Americans eat. “This result is especially timely given the large-scale school closures in the last year of COVID-19 and the current efforts to reopen schools safely and comprehensively,” said Dariush Mozafarian of Friedman School. He was the lead author of the study.
“Our findings indicate significant nutritional damage to millions of children who do not receive regular meals at school and are forced to rely on other sources,” Mozafarian added. “This harm also affects children with low incomes, black and Latino, disproportionately.”
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Unsurprisingly, the study also found that food carts and entertainment venues were 44 percent nutrient-poor foods for adults and 52 percent for children.
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