Nutrivore: The Radical New Science for Getting the Nutrients You Need from the Food You Eat

by Sarah Ballantyne

Studies have shown that about 58 percent of the calories consumed in the United States are derived from ultraprocessed foods.

In fact, the average vegetable consumption is a mere 1.64 cup equivalents of vegetables per day. In contrast, Americans consume about double the recommended amount of grains, averaging 6.7 ounce equivalents per day compared to the current MyPlate recommendation of 3 servings of whole grains daily for females and 3.5 to 4 servings for males. In fact, the consumption of grains has increased by 35 percent since 1970 (this increase is mainly driven by a 23 percent increased intake of wheat-based products and a 202 percent increased intake of corn-based products). Yes, swapping out the excess grain servings for fruits and vegetables in the average American diet would be a huge win.

A 2019 systematic analysis showed that each year globally, poor diet quality is responsible for more deaths (about eleven million) and more disability (255 million disability-adjusted life years) than any other factor, including smoking, sedentary lifestyle, and high blood pressure.1 In fact, approximately 60 percent of Americans have at least one diet-preventable disease, and 40 percent of Americans have two or more diet-preventable diseases.2

the link between low vitamin D and type 2 diabetes.