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Healthy food means different things to different people. That is why the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is working on a de nition to help consumers separate health from hype. In 2017, the FDA invited comments on de nitions and received more than 1,000 responses.
The de nition of health has evolved. “When our magazine was founded in 1990 and for many years after, health meant limiting fats,” says Jessie Price, editor-in- chief, Eating Well, Shelburne, VT. “People want foods that will make them feel better, look better, be stronger and boost their brain power. Our goal at Eating Well is to get people excited about the good stuff, which in large part is fruits and vegetables. No other food group has as much diversity as vegetables, and people are waking up to how exciting vegetables can be.”
To the Produce for Better Health Foun- dation, health includes happiness. “Happi- ness is a tangible and immediate bene t consumers notice,” says Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, president and chief executive.
“Research shows people who eat fruits and vegetables on more days of the week have higher life satisfaction and happiness.”
Experts agree a healthy diet includes plenty of fresh produce. Dr. David Katz, director, Yale University Prevention Research Center, Grif n Hospital, Derby, CT, notes “one thing that is incontestable associated with health is a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegeta- bles have thousands of phytonutrients, and you can’t go wrong with a diet mostly made up of
plant foods.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food
and Nutrition Service recently published “Healthy Small Store Minimum Stocking Recommendations” for retailers participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). These include carrying 4 or 6 varieties of fruit, 6 or 8 varieties of vegeta- bles, and 1 or 2 varieties of dark green or red/ orange vegetables at the basic and preferred levels, respectively. pb
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF HEALTH?
58 / OCTOBER 2018 / PRODUCE BUSINESS