(P24-020-23) Trends in Sources of Key Food Groups To Encourage in the United States: 1999–2018

Objectives: Much is known about changes in the US diet over the last few decades including well described trends of food groups to encourage (FGEs) comprising, but not limited to increasing whole fruit, whole grain (WG), nuts/seeds; stable intake of vegetables and decreasing consumption of fruit juice. However, much less is known regarding what sub-categories are driving these trends.

Methods: Using nationally-representative dietary survey data in more than 82,529 subjects age≥2y this research sought to understand trends in the sources of each of these FGEs. We manually coded >10,000 foods into pre-defined sub-categories or sources (e.g., for whole grains [WG]: breads, ready-to-eat cereals [RTEC], hot cereals, grains & pasta, snacks and other sources) from the first 24-hour dietary recall of NHANES from 1999-2018. Survey-weighted mean intakes were estimated for each 2-year cycle and tests of linear trends were conducted. Proportional changes were calculated comparing intake in 2017-2018 to 1999-2000.

Results: Overall, vegetable intakes were stable but consumption of both canned vegetables and fried potatoes declined slightly (-16% and -14%, respectively from 1999-2000 to 2017-2018) with a small increase in consumption of frozen vegetables (+13%). For whole fruits, fresh fruit intake increased sharply (+32%), with particularly notable increases in apple (+47%), citrus (+98%), berries (+140%), and other tropical fruits (+159%), but not bananas (+0%). Canned and frozen fruit declined by about 18% while dried fruit increased by 48%. For fruit juice declines were observed all forms, including juices (-58%), apple/citrus (-31%) and fruit drinks (-72%). Increased consumption of WG was driven by bread (+119%), grains & pasta (+142%) and snacks (+42%), but RTEC and hot cereal intake was stable. Trends for children/adolescents and adults were examined separately and were generally similar with limited exceptions. For adults fried potato consumption was stable while it declined for kids. In children, apple juice was stable (+4.0%), while consumption of other juices declined significantly.

Conclusions: These results suggest multiple opportunities to decrease the cost of FGE intake by purchasing fewer fresh items and more frozen/canned/juices.

Funding Sources: PepsiCo, Inc., and Tropicana Brands Group