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US teenagers don’t eat enough grains, says study
Teenagers are not consuming enough whole grain foods, according to a recent study from the University of Minnesota at St Paul.
The study, that analysed adolescents aged 12 to 19 years old in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 1999–2004), found that less than one third consumed more than five whole grain ounce equivalents per day.
The most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans, released in January 2011 recommends that all adults eat at least half their grains as whole grains — that’s at least three-to-five servings of whole grains. Even children need two-to-three servings or more.
According to the Whole Grains Council, consumption lags far behind these recommendations. For example, the average American eats less than one daily serving of whole grains, and some studies show that over 40 of Americans never eat whole grains at all.
Phil Lempert, founder of Food Nutrition & Science and CEO of The Lempert Report and SupermarketGuru.com, says: “This is an opportunity for food companies, school nutrition programmes and retailers to market the health benefits of grains and create easier access to products and recipes. Whole grain intake has been associated with improved chronic disease risk factors and weight status in adults, and we know that healthy food habits start young.”
Source: Food Nutrition & Science
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