The Score on Diet Quality and Nutrition Knowledge

Jul 17, 2011
James Gibson

Riboflavin Available in Vegetables but also in Avacado Fruit - Dittaeva

Poor quality diets. The result of poor choices from a lack of food and nutrition knowledge. Test Yourself.

How would you score on diet quality and nutrition knowledge? For instance, do you believe that vitamins supply energy; or that the sun is the main source of Vitamin D? Are there important elements missing in your diet because of your lack of knowledge? Health Insider (IBM Business Consulting Services) conducts periodic public opinion polls. A December 2005 Windsor Star report on one such poll stated that 36 per cent of the 2 500 survey participants felt the Canadian diet was poor while 44 per cent said it was fair. The report also stated that Canadians identify diet as the greatest threat to their health after smoking and chronic illness. Similarly, Jeff Houck reported in the Tampa Tribune that in the United States, “Sixty-nine percent of consumers described their diets when eating out as fair to poor, compared to 39 percent who said they eat fair to poor diets at home.” In 2009, Didier Garriguet reported that in a survey of 33 364 participants, the Canadian Healthy Eating Index (0-100) showed an average score of 58.8 with I in 6 Canadians scoring less than 50.

Contributing Causes:

The Health Insider poll reported by the Windsor Star suggested two major contributing factors as causes of the fair to low quality of the Canadian diet:

Eating too much fast food, fat, junk food and sugar
Today's fast-paced society looking for shortcuts.

The survey also found that:

64 per cent of the respondents said they avoided certain foods because of fat content,
53 per cent said they avoided certain foods because of sugar,
52 per cent said they avoided certain foods because of cholesterol,
49 per cent said they avoided certain foods because of salt content and
45 per cent said they avoided certain foods because of the caloric content.

The Canadian Council of Food and Nutrition stated that 8 in 10 Canadians are confident in their nutrition knowledge. How would you rate yourself?

Test Your Score on Nutrition Knowledge:

Answer the following statements as true or false. Then add up your correct answers as a total out of 19. The correct answers are below:

1) Vitamins supply energy
2) The best way to lose weight is to skip breakfast
3) Complete proteins supply the essential Amino Acids
4) A lack of vitamin C causes night blindness
5) Rice, pastas, and grains are examples of foods high in starch
6) Vegetables, fruits and grains have complete vitamins
7) The best source for carbohydrates are grains, fruits and vegetables
8) Protein is the nutrient necessary for building and repairing body tissues
9) Fruit and milk are high in sugar but also contain other nutrients
10) If you take in more energy than you lose the extra amount is stored as fat
11) Fat is a substance that the body uses to store reserve energy
12) A good source of vitamin C is meat, fish and poultry
13) Butter, sour cream, and cheese belong to the milk and milk products food group
14) The sun is the main source of vitamin D
15) Starch is a simple sugar
16) The water soluble vitamins are B and C
17) Vegetables are unnecessary if you get a lot of fruit
18) Meats and alternatives should be eaten at every meal to stay healthy
19) Adults need 5 to 6 servings of milk each day

Nutrition Trends:

The Canadian Council of Food and Nutrition also pointed out that “what people say they do and what they actually do are not always the same (and that) food and nutrition habits are no exception.” In their 2008 report, Tracking Nutrition Trends, they outlined the supreme importance of taste in food choices plus some key findings about what Canadians consider when thinking of healthy foods:

Nutrient content- presence of positive nutrients such as whole grains, fiber, omega3
Freshness or fresh format- natural, preservative free, unprocessed
Eating a healthy balance

So, are you one of the 8 in 10 confident in their nutrition knowledge?

Test Answers:

1 - F;
2 - F;
3 - T;
4 - F;
5 - T;
6 - F: B12 not available from plant sources;
7 - T;
8 - T;
9 - T: e.g. fructose, lactose;
10 - T;
11 - T;
12 - F;
13 - T’
14 - T;
15 - T: e.g. body breaks it down into sugars
16 - T;
17 - T: e.g. riboflavin (banana), folic acid (avocado)
18 - F; (see Body Break)
19 - F: e.g. 2-4

Sources:

A Report on the Quality of the Canadian Diet. Windsor Star.
Readers Digest. Foods That Harm, Foods That Heal. Readers Digest Association. Montreal. 1997.
Helen Kowtaluk and Alice O. Kopan. Food for Today. Glencoe. Peoria IL. 1990.
Didier Garriguet. Dietary Quality in Canada. Health Reports. Vol. 20, no.3, August 2009.
Jeff Houck. 50 Things You Know Now. Tampa Bay Tribune. Dec. 29, 2005.
Tracking Nutrition Trends VII. Canadian Council of Food and Nutrition. Aug. 2008.