Category Archives: Diet And Food

Constipation occurs when someone has fewer than three bowel movements per week. It is fairly common, affecting around 20% of the North American population. Symptoms include hard stools, straining to move your bowels, or feeling backed up.

If you experience chronic constipation, you may need to seek medical help, but many people can relieve symptoms with dietary changes. Here are some foods that help with constipation:

On average, there is about 6 grams of fiber per 100 grams of prunes. This is four times higher than the fiber content in fresh plums.

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Legumes help reduce constipation due to their high fiber and resistant starch content. Resistant starches are digested slower than simple starches like rice and potatoes. These starches function much like fiber in helping to improve digestion.

Staying hydrated can help make your stools softer and easier to pass, says Abby Langer, RD a registered dietitian based in Toronto, Canada.

"Because fiber adds bulk to the stool, the water helps soften it and balances how it moves through your digestive system," says Langer.

Whole grains are considered healthy alternatives to processed, refined grains. Common grain products include bread, pasta, and cereal.

Unlike refined grains, whole grains retain all of the parts of the grain kernel - which are loaded with nutrients like fiber. For example, whole grain-whole wheat flour has 10 to 12 grams of fiber per 100 grams, whereas refined-white flour only has two to three grams of fiber per 100 grams.

A small 2019 study compared the effects of supplementing flaxseeds, psyllium (which is a laxative), or a placebo on managing constipation in patients with type 2 diabetes. They found that both flaxseeds and psyllium decreased symptoms of constipation.

Probiotics are live bacteria found in some foods, drinks, and supplements that may help with digestive issues. Foods containing probiotics include:

"I recommend those with chronic constipation consult a gastroenterologist, or at the very least choose a probiotic with a variety of strains, around six to ten, from a reputable brand," says Jones.

Relieving constipation isn't always about adding new foods to your diet. Instead, you may want to limit or avoid foods as well, like:

Langer recommends seeking medical help if you are experiencing symptoms of constipation for three consecutive months. "At this point, it is considered chronic and it's time to seek medical help," she says.

According to Jones, constipation may also be a sign of other underlying medical issues like:

Therefore, talk with a healthcare professional if symptoms persist for three months. Also, if you think certain foods might be contributing to your constipation, consult a dietitian before you cut things out of your diet.

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7 foods and drinks that can relieve constipation, according to nutritionists - Business Insider India

I love popping into my neighborhood juice shop because they always seem to be adding something buzzy to their blender. Collagen, moringa, lions manethey know whats up. Recently, I started seeing a new add-in option on the menu: chlorella. Its an ingredient Ive started seeing in new bottled beverages, too.

Chlorella is a deep emerald green-colored freshwater algae. Though they look similar, chlorella is not the same as spirulina, which is another type of algae. (Think of them as cousins with overlapping traits.) Because my chlorella knowledge pretty much stopped there, I decided to call up registered dietitian Toby Amidor, RD, to learn more about itand if chlorella benefits were worth paying extra to add to my smoothie or even buying in supplement form.

Amidor says chlorella is something shes seeing pop up more and more too. Similar to the buzz surrounding spirulina, people seem to be interested in [chlorella] more now, she says. But you need to be careful of where you buy it from, she says. This, Amidor, explains is because supplements are widely unregulated by the U.S. government so it can be difficult to know if what youre spending your money on is actually what you think it is. Here, Amidor gives some tips for what to keep in mind when buying chlorella and also touches on its many benefits.

Chlorella is mostly comprised of protein, although the exact percentage differs, depending on the source, Amidor explains. Chlorella is known as a complete protein, which means it has all nine essential amino acids. Essential amino acids must be consumed through food because we cant make them on our own.

Despite mostly consisting of protein, Amidor says chlorella still shouldnt be thought of as a go-to protein source. Two tablespoons of chlorella has three grams; not nothing, but not a whole lot either. (You want to aim to get about 75 grams of protein a day, depending on how active you are.) Think of it as an extra benefit to whatever youre adding the chlorella to, not a primary source [of protein], Amidor says.

One two-teaspoon serving of chlorella has 15 microunits of vitamin B-12, a whopping 250 percent of the daily recommended total. Since vitamin B12 is most commonly found in meat, fish, and eggs, this is especially beneficial for vegans and vegetarians. Vitamin B-12 is important for brain health and could even help improve your mood.

One of the more minor chlorella benefits includes its small vitamin C content. While one serving of chlorella only has one milligram of vitamin C (2 percent of whats recommended for the day), every little bit countsespecially during the winter months. Amidor says this is another one of chlorellas perks you can think of as a fringe benefit, but not a primary reason to seek it out specifically.

One serving of chlorella has almost 3,000 microunits of vitamin A, 60 percent of the recommended daily value. Like vitamin C, vitamin A is also an immunity booster. It also supports healthy vision, heart health, and kidney function.

Like virtually all plants, chlorella has antioxidants, which are important for protecting the body from inflammation by fighting free radicals, which are unstable molecules that can harm cellular structures. If free radicals arent kept in check, they can contribute to all sorts of health issues, from benign (premature skin aging) to life-threatening (cancer, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimersand many more).

Another nutrient chlorella is high in is iron, Amidor says. In fact, one serving has 12 milligrams of the nutrient, which is 70 percent of the recommended daily total. Iron plays an important role in energy production and the body needs it to function. If you feel sluggish on a regular basis, its worth it to get your iron levels checked, and if youre low, chlorella can help you get more into your dietespecially if you dont eat meat or like beans, two primary sources of iron.

Chlorella has trace amounts of calcium, which is an important nutrient for bone health and heart health. It only contains a small amount, but its another added perk packed inside the green algae.

Especially if you are considering buying chlorella in supplement form, Amidor says that its extra important to do your homework and make sure the company is testing their chlorella for toxins that could cause more harm than good. Go to the website of the company youre considering buying from and see what information they have about how their ingredients are tested, she says. If theres no information available, she says thats a red flag. If a supplement company is going through the effort (and expense) to test their chlorella, they will want their customers to know.

Chlorella can also pop up in bottled beverages and while these drinks are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, Amidor still suggests doing some digging. She suggests looking on the companys website to see if they have information about where they source their ingredients from and if they are tested for authenticity. If not, its worth it to send the brand a message on Facebook or Instagram.

Watch the video below for more tips for safely buying supplements:

While Amidor says she isnt aware of any problematic side effects to chlorella, she does say that it isnt for everyone. If youre pregnant or nursing, its best not to consume it because there arent any scientific studies that indicate if thats safe or not, she says. Also, because of chlorellas iron content, if you are on any blood medications it may not be good to mix them, she says.

As a rule of thumb, anytime you are thinking about taking a new supplement, like chlorella, its a good idea to get your doctors okayand a must if you have any underlying medical conditions or take any medications.

One of the most popular ways to buy chlorella is as a powder, which can then be added to smoothies, oatmeal, or tea. As Amidor previously emphasized, its important to research the brand selling the powder to ensure its been tested for authenticity and toxicity levels. Once you find a powder you like, an average serving size is two tablespoons.

Even though chlorella is an algae, it doesnt taste fishy; the taste is similar to salad greens. If youre not into the taste but still want to reap the chlorella benefits, you can find it in supplement form and take it as a capsule.

As chlorella becomes more popular, its getting easier to find in juices and other drinks. Just know that the amount used in these [products] is probably not very much, Amidor says, indicating that it may be less than the average chlorella serving of two tablespoons. If you want to know how much is in a beverage and its not listed on the label, contact the company and ask; they should be open to answering your questions.

In general and as long as its sourced from a reputable company, chlorella is safe to take and can benefit the body in many ways. While Amidor says its important to know that everything chlorella offers can be found in foods, she says the algae can be considered the cherry on top of the nutritious foods youre already consuming for your health. And what a nutrient-rich cherry it is.

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Are Chlorella Benefits Worth Shelling Out For? Heres What a Registered Dietitian Thinks - Well+Good

The downside: This diet excludes beans, chickpeas and other legumes because they are cultivated rather than foraged. But this category is full of nutrients like magnesium and folate, and are some of the healthiest foods on the planet, Cassetty says. Plus, in the modern world, it may be difficult to stick with the diet's restrictions.

What to steal: Eat real foods. The standard American diet today is filled with ultra-processed foods and processed ingredients our forebears wouldn't recognize. Limiting these categories as paleo does is a smart idea. Filling up on those caveperson faves high-fiber, low-cal fruits and vegetables can help keep pounds off.

With the 16/8 diet, you eat all your daily calories during an eight-hour window, then abstain completely the other 16. You might finish dinner by 8 p.m., say, then fast until lunch the next day. (Noncaloric beverages like coffee and water are OK.) By limiting the amount of time you eat every day, you may naturally take in fewer daily calories, Smith says. Fasting can kick your body into burning stored fat and provide other metabolic benefits that may boost longevity.

Does it work? To date, most of the research into fasting for weight loss has been done with animals. In humans, the evidence is mixed: One 2018 study published in the journalNutrition and Healthy Agingfound following a 16/8 regimen for three months decreased body weight by about 3 percent. But a 2020 human study inJAMA Internal Medicineshowed little weight loss benefit: Overweight adults assigned to fast for 16 hours a day for three months lost only two or three pounds much of it healthy muscle mass, not body fat.

The downsides: Not eating for long periods takes lots of willpower and can be hard to stick with over the long haul. Fasting can foster an unhealthy attitude toward food. You are not learning to listen to your natural hunger cues, which is important for maintaining a healthy relationship with food, Smith says. Fasting is not safe for people with prediabetes, diabetes or a history of disordered eating, she adds.

What to steal: Don't nosh around the clock. Deciding the kitchen is closed after dinner can prevent mindless midnight munching. Giving yourself a natural 12-hour break allows your body to get into healing and maintenance mode while you sleep instead of putting energy into digesting, Cassetty says.

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What to Steal From Keto, Paleo and Other Trendy Diets - AARP

In a spirited op-ed in Environmental Research Letters, a quintet of livestock scientists in Kenya and Germany argue that touting a low-meat diet falsely equates the meat on your plate with environmental harm, and also presents a factually untrue standard for most of the world, where livestock can play critical and positive roles in environments, economies, and health.

Meat production itself is not the problem, says coauthor Polly Ericksen, program leader of sustainable livestock systems at the International Livestock Research Institute. Like any food, when it is mass-produced, intensified, and commercialized, the impact on our environment is multiplied. Eliminating meat from our diet is not going to solve that problem. While advocating a lower-meat diet makes sense in industrialized systems, the solution is not a blanket climate solution, and does not apply everywhere.

In lower-income countries where livestock and crop production are linked (think crop and grazing lands that rotate, with manure fertilizing the soil), they can actually be more environmentally sustainable, noted coauthor An Notenbaert, head of systems analysis for sustainable innovations at CGIAR, an agriculture and livestock research consortium. In sub-Saharan Africa, manure is a nutrient resource which maintains soil health and crop productivity; while in Europe, huge amounts of manure made available through industrialized livestock production are over-fertilizing agricultural land and causing environmental problems.

Unfortunately, the authors say, there is little data on healthier livestock systems, because livestock research is overwhelmingly focused on the West, despite Africa being home to 20% to 32% of cattle, sheep, and goats. The authors call for more data, and devote much of their 17 pages to a range of emissions-lowering efforts more impactful than you not eating meat, including specialized animal feed that lowers greenhouse gases, and better-managed grazing lands.

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Meat-free diets will not save the planet, say researchers - Fast Company

Vitamin A: Add these nutrient-rich foods to your diet to keep your internal organs healthy  |  Photo Credit: iStock Images

New Delhi: Our body needs a balanced mixture of various nutrients in order to keep functioning. Vitamin A is one of the important compounds required to maintain a healthy body. Therecommended DV of vitamin A intake in men is 900 mcg, women 700 mcg and adolescents and children 300-600 mcg.

Some of thebenefits of vitamin A include loweredriskof developing night blindness, helps boost the immune system, helps the skin by preventing and reducing acne, promotes bone health, and lowered risk of cancer. Vitamin A can be found in both plants and animals. Retinol (also known as vitamin A1) is only found in foods that come from animals. Here are some foods you must include in your diet that are rich in vitamin A.

Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purpose only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.

Get the Latest health news, healthy diet, weight loss, Yoga, and fitness tips, more updates on Times Now

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Vitamin A: Add these nutrient-rich foods to your diet to keep your internal organs healthy - Times Now

Though the low carb, high fat keto diet was originally devised to help treat epilepsy, many people are turning to it to lose weight.

According to some research, it provides several advantages over other diets, including making it easier to burn your stored body fat, maintain your metabolic rate (the calories you burn at rest), and feel more full on fewer calories (1, 2, 3).

That said, you may wonder how much weight you can expect to lose in your first week on keto. Many people report extreme weight loss when first starting the diet. However, much of this can be attributed to water losses.

This article reviews how much weight you can expect to lose on your first week of keto.

On keto, you strictly limit your carb intake, typically to 50 grams or fewer per day of total carbs, or 25 grams or fewer of net carbs, which are total carbs minus fiber.

For most people, carbs are the bodys primary source of energy. When you limit carbs, your body burns through the carb stores in your muscles and liver called glycogen typically within a few days (4, 5).

After this, your body switches to a metabolic state called ketosis, in which it uses ketones that are broken down from dietary fat or stored body fat, as its primary source of fuel (4, 5).

This shift, during which you burn through your glycogen stores and switch to using ketones, usually takes less than a week. However, for some people, it may take longer (4, 5).

Many people notice dramatic weight loss during this transition period after first starting the keto diet, but most of this is due to changes in water weight (6).

When you restrict carbs on keto, your body rapidly burns through glycogen, the stored carbs in your liver and muscles. After your glycogen stores are depleted, you shift to burning fat. Many people notice dramatic weight loss during this transition.

The glycogen stored in your muscles and liver is bound with water, typically at a ratio of 3 grams of water for each gram of glycogen (6).

When you burn through these stored carbs, this water is excreted in your urine or sweat (6).

As such, after starting keto, you may notice that you have to urinate more often and feel much thirstier than normal. You may also notice large weight losses, which are mostly water-weight losses (6, 7).

Depending on your size and how much water weight youre carrying, this weight loss can vary. Anecdotally, people report losses within the first week of anywhere from 1 pound (0.5 kg) to 10 or more pounds (5 kg).

The larger you are, the more water weight youre likely to lose after starting keto. Although, its unlikely that much of this initial weight loss is fat loss.

However, once you enter ketosis, its much easier to utilize your own stored fat for energy, which is one reason why the keto diet may be advantageous for weight loss (3).

When you burn through glycogen, your body releases the water that was bound to it. Much of your early weight loss is probably due to these water losses. Still, youll burn more stored body fat once youre fully in ketosis.

Many people use the keto diet for weight loss, and there are several reports online of dramatic weight loss shortly after starting the diet.

This is likely mostly water weight because as you burn through your carb stores, your body releases the water that was bound to those carbs.

Once youre fully in ketosis, your weight loss will probably slow down, but its likely to be more fat than water.

More here:
Keto Weight Loss: What to Expect After 1 Week - Healthline

Highlights

We all will probably agree to the fact that cooking during the winters is no less than a struggle. For instance, the cold water used to clean vegetable and fruits makes our fingers go numb. Hence, we are in constant search for recipes that can help reduce the time we spend in the kitchen. And the first name that pops up in mind is a heart-warming bowl of khichdi. Healthy and wholesome, khichdi spells comfort. In fact, this one-pot dish is a go-to option for all in every good and adverse situation. It is quick, easy and needs just a few ingredients for preparation. While a bowl of khichdi can be not-so-appealing for some people, it also gives enough room for experimentation. Adding ghee, spices and a few ingredients can spruce up a bland and boring khichdi in a jiffy.

Besides being a go-to food, it also makes a nutritious meal for all. Here we bring a healthy khichdi recipe that includes protein-packed sprouts (instead of dal) in the recipe. For the uninitiated, sprouting is basically the process of seed germination that makes them yet more nutrient-rich.

For this recipe, we also used soya bean chunks, along with sprouted moong and lobia, which makes the dish ideal for daily consumption. And the best part is, you can prepare this dish in just 10-15 minutes. Let's find out the recipe!

Also Read:Looking For A Healthy Breakfast Recipe? You Must Try This Mixed Sprouts Stir Fry

Half cup sprouted moong

Half cup sprouted lobia

1 cup of rice

Half cup soya bean chunks

1 tomato, cubed

1 teaspoon ginger paste

1 dry red chilli

1 teaspoon jeera

Half teaspoon hing

2 tablespoon ghee

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

Half teaspoon jeera powder

Half teaspoon coriander powder

Salt, as per taste

Water, as much needed

Heat ghee in a pressure cooker and add hing, dry red chilli and jeera. Cook till the jeera splutter.

Add ginger paste and fry till the raw smell goes.

Add tomato, turmeric powder, jeera-dhania powder and salt and cook on medium flame till the mix releases oil.

Add soyabean chunks, sprouts, rice and mix everything together. Fry for 2-3 minutes.

Add the needed amount of water and close the lid. Pressure cook on a medium flame for 3-4 whistle. Switch off the flame.

Open the lid after the vapour releases and mix half teaspoon ghee, garam masala powder and chopped coriander leaves and close the lid for 2 more minutes. You may avoid this step if you want.

Promoted

Serve hot with chutney and papad and relish.

Try this recipe at home and make your meal a healthy affair!

About Somdatta SahaExplorer- this is what Somdatta likes to call herself. Be it in terms of food, people or places, all she craves for is to know the unknown. A simple aglio olio pasta or daal-chawal and a good movie can make her day.

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High Protein Diet: This Sprouts Khichdi Will Help You Sneak More Protein In Your Lunch - NDTV Food

Archive piece from 2015.

Usain Bolt is not the fastest man alive. In the realm of documented nonfiction, there is no one faster, alive or dead. He is the fastest person, ever.

In the 2012 Olympics, Bolt set a world record of 9.63 seconds at the 100-meter dash, but thats only a small facet of what makes his dominance so remarkable. At the previous games, Bolt became the first sprinter to achieve a double double, where for the second Olympics in a row he won gold medals in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes. In 2012, Bolt won golds in both events again. Even with American runners making admirable wins in all of those same races, no sprinter is better known abroad or stateside than Usain Bolt.

When hes not obliterating world records, Bolt is training to break more of them in his home country of Jamaica. And that training typically consists of very long, very hot days. I try not to eat too much up to a workout, but I stay hydrated. I drink Gatorade throughout the day because its so hot in Jamaica, Bolt, a longtime rep for the brand, says. You have to keep it up throughout the day.

One admittedly small advantage to being the fastest person, ever, is having your own cook. Bolt starts the day with a simple egg sandwich, spends 20 minutes in the weight room, then has a light lunch of pasta with corned beef, or, if he needs to go light on meat, fish. Then his training starts for real. During the day I only eat just enough to have energy for training and to make sure I digest fast enough. But at nights, before I go to sleep, I consume a lot of food. My coach wants me to eat a lot of vegetables, so I do eat more of that than anything else. Ill eat broccoli, but Im not a big fan.

The veggies and grudging broccoli go with yams, meat, and Jamaican dumplings. When Bolt first started running, he was much less regimented. In the past three years Ive really focused on my diet. Initially I just had anything I feel like, but Ive adjusted my diet to eat more vegetables and protein.

"Ill eat broccoli, but Im not a big fan."

When you start with a coach and theres a weight you need to stay at, and every day you have to weigh yourself and watch what you eat. When you get your cravings you just have to look the other way. Thats the hardest part.

And most common craving? Hot wings, he says. Thats the biggest craving that I have, all the time.

BreakfastEgg sandwich

LunchPasta and corned beef

Throughout the dayMango, pineapple, apples throughout the day.

DinnerJamaican dumplings, roasted chicken

Fitness experts on the best home workouts to keep you motivated

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The 15 best fitness apps that will revolutionise the way you sweat

More here:
The real-life diet of Usain Bolt - British GQ

New Foods Editor looks at the issue of dietary simplification and how a lack of biodiversity is impacting both health and food security.

What did you eat for last nights dinner? What about the night before, last week or last month? Was it varied or do similarities crop up? I wouldnt be surprised if there was a pattern. We consume only a tiny proportion of the variety of food available to us. In fact, according to Unilevers Executive Vice President of Global Food, 75 percent of the global food supply is comprised of a mere 12 crops and five animal species (read more in Issue 6 2020, page 44).

So what? Maybe you really like carrots, and theyre good for you, right? Well, yes; but this monotony is having a greater impact than you might think. Or maybe you know this; perhaps Im preaching to the converted and youre working with a forward-thinking brand, making strides in promoting biodiversity. Either way, it is clear that more must be done to promote the issue to consumers and explain its importance.

Whether youve brushed up on your biodiversity lingo or not, Ill give a brief overview of the effects of dietary simplification. The first issue to address here is that a limited diet restricts our nutrient intake. Nutrient content between breeds and cultivars, etc, of plants can be so different. Sweet potato cultivars can vary in their carotenoid content by a factor of 200+, for example.1 So, just having one type over another can make the difference between micronutrient deficiency and adequacy. We cannot rely on a select variety of ingredients because their nutrition profiles are not standard.

Its also worth noting that a lack of crop diversity isnt helpful for food security or the environment either. If youre an avid reader of New Food (one should hope!), you may recall my Welcome in Issue 1 2020, which stressed the need for moderation. Personally, I dont believe full-blown veganism is the answer to sustainability, but certainly reducing our meat intake seems a sensible course of action to help revitalise our planet. As we approach the end of the year, I re-emphasise my previous point: moderation is key and this applies toboth meat and crops. No good can come from overeating and overproducing plants.

As much as 75 percent of the genetic plant diversity in agriculture has been lost since 1900.2 To put that into perspective: Thailand once cultivated more than 16,000 plant varieties, today its 37.1 If we continue on this path, we will only see further decline in biodiversity. Monoculture farming will have severe repercussions for food security because it depletes nutrients and makes soil susceptible to pests and pathogens. The result is over relianceon fertilisers and pesticides, which, if used inappropriately, can have detrimental effects onwildlife and end up in our water supplies and, consequently, food.3

Most of us might believe its our energy or transport choices that cause the most serious environmental damage. In fact, its our food system that creates the biggest impact, according to WWF-UKs Executive Director for Advocacy, Dr Tony Juniper.3

To ensure we can feed the future population 10 billion by 2050 we need to transform our food system. Knorr and partners, including WWF, has made one suggestion (or 50) with the publication of its future 50 foods project. For this, they identified 50 foods we should eat more of, selecting them based on their nutritional qualities and lower environmental impact. According to the official report, these crops are also tasty and affordable and for the ones which arent widely accessible, its making efforts to change that. Nice one.

References

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The problems of dietary simplification - New Food

The nation has thousands of food pantries, places that give cash-strapped people free food with few questions asked. These organizations can occupy everything from an entire building to a literal pantry as in a few shelves in a church basement.

Most of the estimated 300 million Americans who relied on food pantries in 2017 experienced food insecurity, meaning that they didnt have access to enough food. Even before the pandemic hit, up to half of the people who use food pantries live in food insecurity that is so severe that they sometimes skip meals or dont eat for whole days at a time.

Food insecurity is, by many accounts, an even bigger problem now.

Food pantries get the food they give away from many sources, sometimes making it hard to control nutritional quality as they seek to obtain the right quantity of food. And getting enough healthy food to give away is challenging.

I am a nutrition science researcher who studies what food-insecure Americans eat. My team and I have recently completed several studies on rural food pantries in Midwestern counties. We found four signs that food pantries improve the diets of low-income people.

Food pantries are an important source of food.

People typically receive a bag or box containing enough food to serve their family three meals for about three or four days. Most people who use food pantries visit multiple pantries. About half make more than five trips a month to pick up food.

Whats in those boxes and bags accounts for an estimated 36% of what the people who pick them up eat, according to our recent article in the British Journal of Nutrition.

Having access to enough food is critical, but the variety, nutrients and quality are also important for long-term health. We asked 613 U.S. Midwestern food pantry clients about the amounts and kinds of food they ate and where that food came from. We found that compared to supermarkets, other stores and restaurants, food pantries provided the most fruit, something that most people in the U.S. at all income levels need to eat more of every day.

Likewise, Americans generally get too little fiber, calcium, vitamin D and potassium, making these nutritional deficits a public health concern even for people not facing economic hardship. We found that the amounts of these nutrients in the items from food pantries were also highest or tied for the highest compared with all other food sources in the diets of people who visit food pantries.

Even so, Americans who use food pantries dont get enough of these nutrients. Another concern is that provisions from food pantries tend to contain too much sodium, something most Americans need to curb.

Making more trips to food pantries often means better nutrition.

Going more than once a month, rather than once a month or less, is linked with a higher-quality diet, or doing a better job of meeting the recommendations in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the science-based dietary guidance that the federal government maintains to promote health.

For example, the average American would get a failing grade, with a score of 59% for their consumption of fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy and protein, along with sodium, added sugar and saturated fat. People who rely on food pantries fare even worse.

Those using food pantries once a month or less would score 39%, while those visiting more frequently would score 44%. Higher dietary quality, even just a 5 percentage point gain, may improve someones health and help stave off chronic diseases.

Eating a wide variety of food helps meet basic nutritional needs. The day after visiting a food pantry, people ate two more kinds of food compared with what they ate the day before.

Specifically, people who visited a food pantry ate more fruit, including whole fruits such as eating an apple as opposed to drinking a glass of apple juice. Eating more whole fruits is especially helpful because they have a lot of fiber and other nutrients that can help prevent cancer, heart disease and other chronic diseases.

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4 signs that food pantries improve the diets of low-income people - The Conversation US