Report
Salad eaters consume 40% more vegetables
According to preliminary recommendations by the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, Americans should follow a more plant-based diet that emphasises vegetables, cooked dry beans and peas, fruit, whole grains, nuts and seeds as part of a healthy lifestyle.
Unfortunately, Americans fall short on meeting fruit and vegetable intakes, with fewer than one in 10 meeting their calorie-specific ‘MyPyramid’ fruit or vegetable recommendations: between 1½-2½ cups of fruit and 2–4 cups of vegetables a day for adults.
The good news is that a new study commissioned by Wish-Bone Salad Dressings finds that eating salads offers a simple strategy to help Americans improve their veggie intake.
The study analysed salad consumption data from the 2003–2004 and 2005–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES), a large population study conducted in the US. Results reveal that regular salad eaters consumed 40% more vegetables than those who didn’t regularly consume salads. The findings also show that one-third of Americans don’t regularly eat salads.
“Raw vegetable salads are an easy way to increase overall vegetable consumption, and they provide a nutrient-rich and convenient way to meet your recommended daily intake,” says Sandra Woodruff, dietitian and nutrition author. “Adding salad dressings to salads is a tasty way to enhance the flavours of raw vegetables.”
Adults who dressed their salads also demonstrated improved nutrient intake. The findings show that people who regularly ate salads with salad dressing were more likely to have higher intakes of vitamins A, E and K, as well as of omega-3 ALA (an essential fatty acid) than people who didn’t eat salads.
“Making a salad with a rainbow of brightly coloured vegetables not only adds exciting flavours and textures but also helps improve the intake of essential nutrients,” says Woodruff.
Source: Unilever
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