If you try to eat healthier these days, and follow federal , its likely that youre eating more vegetables, fruits, whole grains and low-fat dairy products. It also means that your grocery bill is increasing, according to 91探花 researchers from the .
Pablo Monsivais, acting assistant professor of epidemiology, School of Public Health, and his team analyzed data from the , a population-based investigation of social determinants of diet quality and health conducted in 2008 and 2009.聽 Social determinants of health include income, education and socioeconomic status.
More specifically, researchers analyzed local food prices and examined the cost of each incremental increase in intake for dietary fiber, potassium, calcium and vitamin D鈥攁ll nutrients recommended by the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
The conclusion?聽 Increasing consumption of potassium (the most expensive of four recommended nutrients) would add $380 each year to the average consumers food costs.聽 On the flip side, consumers who obtained more calories from saturated fat and added sugar would have significant drops in food costs.
“This provides an economic reality check for the 2010 Dietary Guidelines,鈥� said Monsivais.聽 “If consumers aim to improve their diets without raising food budgets, they will need guidance that takes the cost of food into account.聽 We also need to revamp our food system to increase the availability and reduce the cost of healthful foods.鈥�
Anju Aggarwal, project manager at the Center for Public Health Nutrition and Adam Drewnowski, 91探花professor of epidemiology and medicine, were co-authors on “,鈥� published on August 4 in .