Public Health — Blog | The Nourished Principles

THE PANDEMIC CHILD HUNGER PREVENTION ACT: MAKING THE CASE FOR UNIVERSAL SCHOOL MEALS

No child should have to worry about where their next meal will come from or whether their family will be able to afford to put food on the table, but unfortunately, that is the reality for millions of Americans. According to the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) latest data, 13 million U.S. children are food insecure. In April, 35% of households with children under 18 responded to a survey stating, “the food we bought just didn’t last, and we didn’t have enough money to get more.” This is an increase of nearly 20 percentage points from 2018 data, showing just how detrimental the COVID-19 pandemic has been for families due to record high unemployment rates. For those children, uncertain access to food, especially healthy, nutritious food, has serious consequences for health, learning, and development.

Dietary Guidelines for Americans: Key Takeaways from the Draft Advisory Report Meeting

As the work begins to wind down for the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) which was tasked with developing the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs), it is easy to see that many have worked tirelessly over the last couple of years to get to this point. With each curve ball that was thrown their way, the team has continued to persevere forward so that they can bring the latest and most reliable nutrition research to the stage for the new DGAs. The long-awaited final Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Public Meeting was held via webcast on June 17. In this blog, I will walk you through what to expect next from the DGAC, the agencies responsible for creating the final guidelines, and key takeaways from the final meeting.

Wondering about WIC During the COVID-19 Crisis

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, commonly referred to as “WIC”, is a federal nutrition program administered by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (USDA FNS). Programs like WIC are essential in ensuring families experiencing food insecurity have additional resources and access to nutritious foods each month. Given the current COVID-19 pandemic, many people are now unemployed or furloughed which makes it challenging for some families to keep food on the table. Throughout the pandemic, employees of the WIC program continue to work to ensure these families have access to healthy foods.

Support for Nutrition and Public Health in COVID-19 Legislation

With each new day, the COVID-19 pandemic brings new advances and challenges. For millions of Americans, it has virtually affected every aspect of daily living. As we seek to ensure our families’ health and safety, we are reminded of the importance of daily necessities that we may have previously taken for granted. This realization has made many of us slow down and think more deeply about where our food comes from, and how we would survive as a society without grocery stores, restaurants, school meals, nutrition assistance programs, and other means of nourishment. Based on the typical American diet, nearly half the calories consumed each day are from products outside the home. This has caused a dramatic shift in consumption patterns and misalignment of production and supply.

What is the Food and Drug Administration’s Nutrition Innovation Strategy, and Why Does it Matter?

Chronic disease burden is a growing problem in America, six in ten adults have one chronic disease, while four in ten have two or more. Although treatment for these conditions continues to improve, we know that the best treatment is prevention. On March 29, 2018, the FDA Commissioner at the time, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, gave an effective speech on reducing the burden of chronic disease and the critical role FDA plays in this, including policy implementation. During this speech, he announced the FDA’s Nutrition Innovation Strategy.

Dietary Guidelines for Americans: Key Takeaways from the Fourth Meeting

The fourth meeting of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans Advisory Committee (DGAC) was held in Houston, Texas on January 23rd and 24th, 2020. The idea was to get out of the Washington D.C. area and offer those living outside the “beltway” an opportunity to be more involved in the Dietary Guidelines process.

How Food Labels Can Impact Our Health

A new study suggests that the revamped food labels may drastically improve the prevalence of heart disease and diabetes in Americans. In 2016, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the most extensive revision of the Nutrition Facts food labels since 1993. After many delays and push back from the food industry, manufacturers are mandated to implement the new and improved labeling policy between 2020 and 2021. One of the biggest changes to the food label is the addition of the added sugar line. The reason for this was simple- Americans consume too much added sugar.

Nutrition, Public HealthStephanie HodgesJanuary 13, 2020added sugar, nutrition, public health, food labels, fdaComment

What You Need to Know About the Dietary Guidelines & Key Takeaways from the Third Public Meeting

The 2019 World Series wasn’t the only important event going on at the end of October in Washington, DC! On October 24th and 25th, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans Advisory Committee reconvened for their third public meeting in the Jefferson Auditorium of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Building. Now, the seats weren’t sold out like the Nats Stadium, but nearly 1,200 participants did attend the meeting either in person or through webcast. You might be wondering, just what are the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) and how do they impact me?

Food Policy, Nutrition, Public HealthStephanie HodgesNovember 6, 2019 Comment

Celebrating National Farm to School Month

October brings so much fall joy- cooler temperatures, pumpkin flavored everything, beautiful foliage, and my absolute favorite- National Farm to School Month! Farm to School Month was designated in 2010 by Congress and occurs in October which is the perfect month to highlight local and seasonal foods. In addition to Farm to School Month, many states have passed resolutions creating a Farm to School week for the state as well! Of all the school nutrition focused months or weeks, Farm to School is my favorite because it brings together local producers and connects them with schools to provide local, nutritious foods to students. To truly celebrate Farm to School month I am rounding up five of my favorite Farm to School activities here on the blog!