Nutrition Trend vs. Food Industry Trend

If there is one thing I appreciate be able to observe in my role as a retail dietitian, it’s the intersection of nutrition guidance and food industry trend. In other words, the crossroads that a consumer finds themselves at when they search the aisles of the supermarket for the foods that they believe are the most nutritious for their family, while recalling the latest headline they saw online, the magazine article they read, or the persuasive package call outs they pass as they shop. After all, if coconut oil is all over the supermarket then it must be good for you right?

Let’s consider for a moment the numerous recent headlines surrounding saturated fat. These headlines, which have created consumer confusion by putting saturated fat in a favorable light, have driven food industry trends and led to this intersection of food trend and health trend. So we know that the food industry has embraced saturated fat, and wants you too as well, through whole milk yogurt, coconut “everything” and the like. But, has the science really supported this new emphasis on saturated fat?

As a dietitian, it’s my job to help you navigate the challenging landscape of the supermarket; to cut help you cut through the “noise” so you can make wise choices.  Ultimately, it’s my job to serve as the bridge between science and the supermarket and ensure that your shopping cart is not only a reflection of your personal goals, but of what research is saying is best for your health and wellness.

For more on this intriguing topic, check out the free webinar I co-hosted with my colleague Kit Broihier on behalf of Guiding Stars, Fat or Fiction: The Latest Science on Fat, which dives deeper into this intersection between a food industry trend and a health trend.