What Foods Should Americans Eat? Better Information Needed on Nutritional Quality of Foods

Americans have a growing desire to select foods that promote good health. With thousands of food products to choose from, food decisions are becoming more difficult for consumers and the Government. In recent decades, the American food supply has changed so that more than half of the public's diet consists of processed foods rather than fresh produce. This comes at a time, when Americans are less active than their counterparts in previous generations and therefore should consume fewer calories and/or be more physically active to maintain an ideal weight.