We have transitioned into an era where healthy and mindful eating is “in.” The modern-day consumer understands that not all foods are produced alike. Hence, they no longer limit themselves to reading labels but now care more about the food source, ingredients, and other such factors that indicate quality. Regardless, the burning question still stands – are we getting enough nutrients?

Global Nutrition in a Snapshot

According to the 2020 Global Nutrition Report, here is what we know about the nutrition profile of different regions:

North America

The dietary intake of key foods and nutrients in adults (aged 25 and above) is as follows:

• Fruits: 148.3g (123%)
• Vegetables: 195.2g (91%)
• Legumes: 21.4g (57%)
• Nuts and Seeds: 14.4g (189%)
• Whole grains: 26.2g (95%)
• Red meats: 54.7g (174%)
• Processed meats: 55.6g (455%)
• Milk: 251.8g (308%)
• Sugary beverages: 239.5g (367%)
• Dietary Fiber: 16.1g (98%)
• Polyunsaturated fats: 7.1% (294%)
• Omega 3s: 94.7mg (146%)
• Transfats: 1.6% (292%)
• Sodium: 3.5g (81%)
• Calcium: 0.9g (177%)

Latin America and the Caribbeans

The dietary intake of key foods and nutrients in adults (aged 25 and above) is as follows:

• Fruits: 182.5g (151%)
• Vegetables: 110.5g (51%)
• Legumes: 64.7g (172%)
• Nuts and Seeds: 10.2g (135%)
• Whole grains: 33.5g (121%)
• Red meats: 48.1g (153%)
• Processed meats: 8.7g (72%)
• Milk: 127.4g (156%)
• Sugary beverages: 130.7g (200%)
• Dietary Fiber: 16.6g (102%)
• Polyunsaturated fats: 4.2% (175%)
• Omega 3s: 68.1mg (105%)
• Transfats: 0.5% (97%)
• Sodium: 3.6g (85%)
• Calcium: 0.5g (105%)

Europe

The dietary intake of key foods and nutrients in adults (aged 25 and above) is as follows:

• Fruits: 143.2 (118%)
• Vegetables: 203.9g (95%)
• Legumes: 19g (50%)
• Nuts and Seeds: 5.3g (70%)
• Whole grains: 16.3g (59%)
• Red meats: 48.1g (153%)
• Processed meats: 33.5g (274%)
• Milk: 225.9g (276%)
• Sugary beverages: 102.9g (158%)
• Dietary Fiber: 15.8g (97%)
• Polyunsaturated fats: 2.9% (119%)
• Omega 3s: 57mg (88%)
• Transfats: 0.4% (74%)
• Sodium: 3.6g (83%)
• Calcium: 0.9g (167%)

Africa

The dietary intake of key foods and nutrients in adults (aged 25 and above) is as follows:

• Fruits: 114.1g (94%)
• Vegetables: 122.5g (57%)
• Legumes: 46.8g (124%)
• Nuts and Seeds: 9.8g (128%)
• Whole grains: 25.3g (92%)
• Red meats: 15.7g (50%)
• Processed meats: 7.9g (65%)
• Milk: 43.2g (53%)
• Sugary beverages: 34g (52%)
• Dietary Fiber: 22.1g (135%)
• Polyunsaturated fats: 1.5% (61%)
• Omega 3s: 19.6mg (30%)
• Transfats: 0.4% (75%)
• Sodium: 2.7g (62%)
• Calcium: 0.3g (65%)

Mainland Asia

The dietary intake of key foods and nutrients in adults (aged 25 and above) is as follows:

• Fruits: 105.1g (87%)
• Vegetables: 247.9g (115%)
• Legumes: 37.1g (99%)
• Nuts and Seeds: 6.6g (86%)
• Whole grains: 29.8g (108%)
• Red meats: 25.8g (82%)
• Processed meats: 5.4g (44%)
• Milk: 38.5g (47%)
• Sugary beverages: 38.8g (59%)
• Dietary Fiber: 15.3g (94%)
• Polyunsaturated fats: 1.8% (73%)
• Omega 3s: 71.8mg (111%)
• Transfats: 0.5% (94%)
• Sodium: 4.9g (114%)
• Calcium: 0.4g (85%)

South-East Asia

The dietary intake of key foods and nutrients in adults (aged 25 and above) is as follows:

• Fruits: 120.7 (100%)
• Vegetables: 111.2g (52%)
• Legumes: 21.2g (57%)
• Nuts and Seeds: 16.3g (214%)
• Whole grains: 48.8g (175%)
• Red meats: 17.3g (55%)
• Processed meats: 2.6g (21%)
• Milk: 10.2g (12%)
• Sugary beverages: 34.6g (53%)
• Dietary Fiber: 10g (61%)
• Polyunsaturated fats: 1.4% (56%)
• Omega 3s: 32.8mg (51%)
• Transfats: 0.2% (43%)
• Sodium: 4.2g (96%)
• Calcium: 0.2g (46%)

Factors Affecting the Recommended Nutritional Uptake

Whether we like it or not, there is no silver bullet for eating healthy. Your body’s nutritional requirements depend on a variety of factors, some of these being:

• Age: Age plays a crucial role in defining an individual’s nutritional requirements. For instance, your Vitamin C requirements will increase as you age. Similarly, you will need more Vitamin D as a senior as your skin loses its ability to synthesize it. Hence, you will have to supplement the nutritional requirement accordingly.
• Gender: Gender is also an important determinant for your nutritional needs. Women, for example, have higher iron and calcium requirements than men. Similarly, the nutritional intake during pregnancy affects fetal development. On the other hand, as men are more vulnerable to conditions like heart diseases, they have a higher requirement for heart-healthy nutrients.
• Diet: Your dietary intake outlines the nutritional density and shortfalls. If you were to follow a diet devoid of fruits and vegetables, you would have a lesser concentration of vitamins A and C, folate, and potassium. Additionally, the nutrient interaction also affects your overall nutritional uptake. For example, vitamin D is linked to calcium absorption, and a lack of the former will cause a deficiency in the latter.
• Genetic Composition: Your genetic constitution and ethnicity also control your nutritional requirements. This newly discovered branch of science has led to the growth of nutrigenomics, which personalizes nutrition.
• Lifestyle: People who lead an active lifestyle would require more electrolytes, such as potassium and sodium. Similarly, those suffering from chronic diseases may have to follow medications that alter how they absorb nutrition.

In addition to the five core factors outlined above, the nutritional uptake also depends on economic factors, such as affordability and accessibility of food, social factors, like traditions and cultures, and psychological factors, such as stress.

How Can One Consume Nutritional Food?

That being said, here are a few tips on eating healthy:

• Switch to complex, high fiber carbohydrates rather than cutting it out entirely. If you consume refined, starchy carbs like pasta and bread, substitute these with their wholegrain variants.
• Add proteins to all your meals for balancing out the blood sugar levels. Fish (especially oily fish), nuts, legumes, and poultry are the best choices here.
• Cut down on saturated and trans fats and opt for plant, nut, and fish oils.
• Include whole grains, fruits, and vegetables to meet your daily fiber requirements.
• Water is the best beverage that you can consume.
• Incorporate a rainbow of foods to your plate, that is, differently colored fruits and vegetables.

How Can We End World Hunger?

Ending world hunger is not an unachievable dream. It is highly possible through effective measures like climate-specific agriculture, supporting producers through input and seed subsidies, access to credit facilities, reducing food waste, disaster risk reduction, etc.

Even the smallest intervention at the producer stage can lead to larger positive consequences, which can meet all our nutritional needs.