FOOD WASTAGE

June 04, 2021

FOOD EVOLUTION

Our food environment is changing every moment. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. As it continues to evolve, we are faced each day with new decisions about what to consume.
New food products are released onto the market each week. Some are hits and last a long time (ex. Cornflakes, Cherries). Some are misses and disappear almost instantaneous Included in the new products this week are coconut flavored M&M. The reviewer doesn't fail to notice that coconut is actually not one of the ingredients in this product. On the other end of the spectrum, Healthy Choice: Creamy Basil Pesto frozen dinner scores points with the reviewer for having just seven grams of fat. The new products on this site give us a good idea of what we are up against as we stroll down the grocery store isles. So far studies of foragers like the Tisane, Arctic Inuit, and Hamza have found that these peoples traditionally didn’t develop high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, or cardiovascular disease. “A lot of people believe there is a discordance between what we eat today and what our ancestors evolved to eat.

A documentary about FOOD EVOLUTION in 2016 was directed by Scott Hamilton Kennedy. The film was produced by Scott Hamilton Kennedy and Trace Sheehan. Narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson, Food Evolution tackles the schism that has arisen between scientists and consumers over how to feed our expanding population safely and sustainably.

Today we have MyPlate, which replaced the modern MyPyramid and the classical Food Pyramid in June 2011.

The 7 groups of food recommended for daily consumption were:

Group 1 included green and yellow veggies. The recommendation was to eat these raw or cooked, frozen or canned.
Group 2 included oranges, tomatoes and grapefruit, raw cabbage and salad greens;
Group 3 consisted of potatoes and other veggies and fruits. Again, the guideline was to eat these “raw, dried, cooked, frozen or canned”;
Group 4 included milk and milk products, cheese and dried milk;
Group 5 consisted of meat, poultry, fish and eggs, dried beans, peas, nuts and peanut butter;
Group 6 consisted of bread, flour and cereals. Recommendation was to eat these enriched or in whole grain products;
Group 7 included butter and fortified margarine, with vitamin A added.

As you can see in the picture above, the recommendation was for everyone to include all these groups of food in their daily diet.

According to MYPLATE, one should eat 1 1/8 cups veggies, 1 1/2 cups grains, 2/3 cup fruits, 3/4 cup proteins and 1/8 cup dairy products. It’s hard to anticipate how the next Food Pyramid or Plate will look like, but regardless of the nutrition scheme you choose, make sure to opt for less processed products and to keep the consumption of sweets and fast foods at a minimum.