American adults are changing their attitudes toward food and nutrition and are eating healthier, making better use of available nutrition information, eating more fiber and consuming less cholesterol, a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) study shows.
Researchers found that use of nutrition information, including the nutrition facts panel found on the majority of food packages, increased in recent years. Reduced consumption of food away from home accounted for 20 percent of the improvements in diet quality, as well as associated with more frequent family meals.
Through USDA’s Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food program, the agency has worked to increase access to nutritious food through the development of strong local and regional food systems. The amount of farmers markets have increased by more than 67 percent in the last four years.