Overview

What do you picture when you think about the typical American diet? Do you see cheeseburgers, pizza, soda, cookies and cake? Unfortunately, you’d be right, even if you wanted to be wrong. Today’s food environment overflows with highly palatable, nutrient-poor foods, making it too easy to eat “sometimes” foods all of the time. The latest evidence indicates that Americans eat too many of these foods and need to cut back for the sake of their health. In particular, the recommendations advise limiting refined grains, saturated fat, added sugar and salt (and some of the top food sources for these nutrients may surprise you). Considering half of all adult Americans live with a preventable chronic condition in which diet plays a role and that two-thirds are overweight or obese, it’s time for the nation to go out with the junk and in with the foods that support a vibrant, healthy lifestyle. Nutrition experts share 10 ways to de-junk-ify your diet.