Healthy food choices have been an important part of living a healthy life for more than a century. Over that time, advances in nutrition research have made significant changes to what is considered healthy. But, advanced knowledge has not been the only contributor of change. Major historical events have also taken their toll.
Farmer's Almanac
At the beginning of the 20th century, many Americans were simple farmers. They ate what they raised from their land, supplemented by basic supplies from stores. Healthy eating was not considered by most people at this time. In 1894, W.O. Atwater published an article in the Farmer's Almanac that suggested the benefits of a balanced diet. The Farmer's Almanac was the most widely distributed and universally respected periodical among common people at that time. Atwater's article suggested that people should eat portions of fats, carbohydrates, proteins and minerals. Atwater's article was significant because it was distributed widely, opened the subject of healthy eating and became a foundation for healthy food research and guidance.
Great Depression
The Great Depression ushered in one of the most devastating food shortages in U.S. history. At this point, the U.S. Department of Agriculture had begun producing healthy eating food guides. Unfortunately, many Americans could not afford to adhere to all suggestions of healthy eating. The result was a food guide that offered nutrition guidelines at four different price points. The food guide also included meal plans to help guide struggling Americans to make food resources last longer. This signified the importance of healthy eating, regardless of income. As of 2011, the USDA still considers healthy eating and its cost when publishing food guides.
World War II
World War II started a slew of resource-saving strategies to help the war effort, and food was one of the most important resources to save. This led, in part, to the creation of the Basic Seven food guide. The food guide was founded in contemporary research that highlighted the importance of several vitamins and nutrients. The food guide was meant to help Americans plan meals based on the importance of consuming foods that contained all essential vitamins. However, the food guide did not advise adequate calorie requirements. The USDA believed that advising fewer calories would help save food resources for the war.
Modern
Towards the end of the 20th century, small farms began to close down in favor of big farming companies that could cover more land with less manpower. Widespread use of pesticides and insecticides encouraged higher yields and bigger profits. However, some research began to show that the chemicals used in modern farming could cause hazards to the consuming public. As a result, a massive paradigm shift in American farming produced new trends that favor eating organic and sustainable foodstuffs.
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