Barriers Survey Results

Fruit Intake

Interpretation

Overall, 24% of participants eat more than two servings per day of fruit, while 76% eat below or up to 2 servings of fruit per day. The majority (59%) eat 1‐2 servings per day. 17.6% of respondents eat less than 1 serving per day. 83% of 31-50 year olds eat one or more servings per day, 82% of 51 and older do, and 79% of 19-30 year olds do.

This is not a huge area of weakness for Calloway County residents, but there is room for improvement as there are still 17.6% of respondents who eat less than one serving of fruit per day. One recommendation for future surveys is to break these categories down more specifically.

Recommendation

1. The minimum recommended servings of fruits per day depends on your age, sex, height, weight, and physical activity level. Check on the app on MyPlate to see how many servings are right for you! In general, women need 1 & ½ - 2 cups per day. Men need 2 - 2 & ½ cups per day. A serving includes a cup of fresh fruit, a medium-sized piece of fruit, ½ cup dried fruit, or 8 oz. of 100% fruit juice. 

2. Fruits are packed with vitamins, are low in calories, and provide simple carbohydrates for quick energy. 

3. Tips for incorporating more fruit into your day:

   1. Add some fresh or dried fruit to your cold or hot breakfast cereal

   2. Try a breakfast smoothie! If made right, this is a great way to pack in fruits and vegetables! 

   3. Want something sweet? Reach for fruit instead of candy, cake, or cookies.

Whole Grain Intake 

Interpretation

Overall, nearly 6% of participants ate 5 or more servings of whole grains per day while 94% ate less than 5 servings of whole grains per day. The majority (46%) ate 1‐2 servings per day. There was no significant difference between age groups on servings.

This is a huge area of weakness for Calloway County residents.

Recommendation

1. Generally, women need 3-4 ounces of whole grains each day. Men need 4-5 ounces of whole grains. A good rule of thumb is that half of your grains should be whole. One ounce of a whole grain could be ½ cup of cooked grains (brown rice, oats, whole wheat pasta), 1 regular slice of whole grain bread, 5 whole wheat crackers, or 3 cups of popcorn.

2. Whole grains are high in fiber. Fiber can help to lower cholesterol and ensure consistent, regular bowel movements. It also keeps you feeling full for longer, so you eat less. This is a good thing if you’re trying to lose weight!

3. Tips for incorporating more whole grains into your day:

   1. Replace refined grains with whole grains (e.g., brown rice for white rice, whole wheat pasta for regular pasta, and whole wheat bread for refined, white bread).

   2. Bake! It takes some trial and error, but replacing some of the white flour in a recipe for whole wheat flour can be a great way to sneak in fiber while still enjoying traditional baked goods.

   3. Enjoy a mid-afternoon snack on the regular? Try some popcorn instead of those chips.

Healthful Oils Intake

Interpretation

Overall, 47% of participants responded that they ate healthful oils 3 or more times per week. 53% responded that they ate fewer than 3 servings of healthful oils per week. The majority (33%) ate 1‐2 servings per week.

This could be skewed due to the format of the question. For example, if the question had been worded in servings per day rather than servings per week, like previous questions, responses may have been different. Even if respondents thought they were answering in a per day format, only 46% ate three servings or more per day. This is an area for growth and education.

Recommendation

1. There is no daily recommended intake for oils. However, choosing the right ones can provide many benefits for your heart, and your waistline! Heart-healthy fats include unsaturated fats that are liquid at room temperature like avocado oil, olive oil, vegetable oil, and canola oil. 

2. Tips for incorporating heart-healthy oils into your day:

   1. Substitute a solid fat for liquid oil in almost every recipe.

   2. Need to grease the pan? Use a bit of vegetable oil. It has a high smoke point and won’t go rancid with high heat. 

   3. Many baked goods turn out just fine when using a healthy oil in place of butter, margarine, shortening, or lard. Just make sure you look up the right equivalent! 

Nuts & Seeds Intake

Interpretation

Overall, 60.5% of participants had 2 or fewer servings of nuts and seeds per day. The majority (47%) ate 1‐2 servings per day, and 13.5% of participants have zero nuts and seeds per day.

This is another area of weakness for Calloway County and educational need.

Recommendation

1. Like oils, there is no daily recommended intake. However, eating nuts & seeds is important because they have many health benefits, including:

   1. Heart healthy fats

   2. Fiber

   3. Vitamins

   4. Protein

2. Tips for incorporating nuts & seeds into your day:

   1. Try replacing the protein in your salad with nuts and/or seeds

   2. Add nuts and/or seeds to your hot or cold breakfast cereal in the morning

   3. Sprinkle nuts and/or seeds on almost any cooked dish. They add a nice texture and pack in the nutrients!

Vegetable Intake

Interpretation

Overall, 38% of participants ate more than 2 servings of vegetables per day, while 62% ate 2 or fewer servings of vegetables per day. The majority (54%) ate 1‐2 servings per day.

This is another area of weakness in Calloway County.

Recommendation

1. Like fruits and whole grains, the recommended serving of vegetables per day varies based on several factors. Generally speaking, women need 2-3 cups per day while men need 3-4 cups of vegetables per day. In terms of serving size, a cup of vegetables refers to 1 cup of cooked vegetables, 2 cups of fresh vegetables (e.g., lettuce for a salad), 1 whole vegetable (e.g., zucchini, bell pepper), or 8 oz. of 100% vegetable juice.

2. You should eat the rainbow when it comes to your veggies. The different colors mean different nutrients that are vital to your health and wellbeing. A bonus is that vegetables are naturally low in calories, cholesterol, and fat. They also contain a good bit of fiber.

3. Tips for incorporating vegetables into your day:

   1. Add some spinach leaves to that morning smoothie. It turns it green, but trust us, you won’t taste it. The fruit masks the spinach flavor!

   2. Raw veggies are a good snack. Try some baby carrots or celery instead of potato chips or a granola bar in the afternoon.

   3. Aim for a side of veggies with lunch and dinner.

Resource: https://www.myplate.gov/