It’s Time to Ramp up Veggie Intake: New Study Finds Salad Eaters Consume 40% More Vegetables

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mom was right about eating your peas and carrots. According to preliminary recommendations by the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, Americans should follow a more plant-based diet that emphasizes vegetables, cooked dry beans and peas, fruit, whole grains, nuts, and seeds as part of a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, Americans fall short on meeting fruit and vegetable intakes, with fewer than one in 10 meeting their calorie-specific MyPyramid fruit or vegetable recommendations: between 1 ½ cups to 2 ½ cups of fruit and 2 to 4 cups of vegetables per day for adults.¹ The good news is that a new study commissioned by Wish-Bone^® Salad Dressings finds that eating salads offers a simple strategy to help Americans improve their veggie intake.

“Raw vegetable salads are an easy way to increase overall vegetable consumption, and they provide a nutrient-rich and convenient way to meet your recommended daily intake”

SALADS RAMP UP VEGGIE INTAKE

The study analyzed salad consumption data from the 2003-2004 and 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES), a large population study conducted in the U.S.² Results reveal that regular salad eaters consumed 40% more vegetables than those who did not regularly consume salads. The findings also show that unfortunately, one-third of Americans do not regularly eat salads. “Raw vegetable salads are an easy way to increase overall vegetable consumption, and they provide a nutrient-rich and convenient way to meet your recommended daily intake,” said Sandra Woodruff, MS, RD, LD/N, nationally known dietitian and best-selling nutrition author. “And adding salad dressings to salads is a tasty way to enhance the flavors of raw vegetables.”

TOSSING IN TASTE HAS ITS BENEFITS

Adults who dressed their salads also demonstrated improved nutrient intake. The findings show that people who regularly ate salads with salad dressing were more likely to have higher intakes of vitamins A, E and K as well as of omega-3 ALA--an essential fatty acid--than people who didn’t eat salads.^3†

“This is good news for the millions of Americans who love a dressed salad as the perfect addition to the Fall family dinner,” Woodruff said. “Making a salad with a rainbow of brightly-colored vegetables not only adds exciting flavors and textures but also helps improve the intake of essential nutrients. And adding salad dressing makes it a delicious and refreshing fit with any Fall menu.”

For more information on Wish-Bone^® Salad Dressings and delicious salad recipes visit www.Wish-Bone.com.

About Unilever

Unilever’s mission is to add vitality to life. We meet everyday needs for nutrition, hygiene and personal care with brands that help people feel good, look good and get more out of life. Each day, around the world, consumers make 160 million decisions to purchase Unilever products.

In the United States, the portfolio includes major brand icons such as: Axe^®, Ben & Jerry's^®, Bertolli^®, Breyers^®, Caress^®, Country Crock^®, Degree^®, Dove^® personal care products, Hellmann's^®, Klondike^®, Knorr^®, Lipton^®, Popsicle^®, Promise^®, Q-Tips^®, Skippy^®, Slim-Fast^®, Suave^®, Sunsilk^® and Vaseline^®. All of the preceding brand names are registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies. Dedicated to serving consumers and the communities where we live, work and play, Unilever employs nearly 12,000 people in both the United States and Puerto Rico – generating nearly $10 billion in sales in 2008. For more information, visit www.unileverusa.com.

1. Medscape J Med. 2009; 11(1): 26

2. Methodology and Data Sourcing: Nutrient intakes were based on food consumption records collected as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) conducted in 2003-2004 and 2005-2006 with a total of 16,783 individuals 19 years and older in the survey period 2003-2006. The NHANES datasets provide nationally representative nutrition and health data and prevalence estimates for nutrition and health status measures in the U.S. The original analysis was completed by Exponent for Unilever on April 28, 2010. The reported results are based on data from adults ages19 years and older who report consumption of vegetable salads and salad dressings and those who do not consume salads.

3. Salad dressing contains calories, fat and sodium and should be consumed in moderation. See label for specific nutrition information

^†based on 2-day averages that have been energy adjusted.