What should we eat?
(Book - Regular Print)

Thesis,MSFS,Green Mountain College,2019

Includes bibliographical references.

For most consumers, navigating the modern food system to access good quality and affordable fresh foods has proved challenging. This has created a number of problems directly affecting collective health and wellness, including an increase in chronic diseases. Much research has been performed on the content of food in the modern human diet which has found an imbalance of nutrients: carbohydrates, fats, and proteins and a link to chronic food-related conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. This research has determined that fresh foods, such as fruits and vegetables, have the ability to bring diet back into balance and contain nutrients like vitamins and minerals that are necessary for good health and nutrition. However, in our modern food systems, there are a number of factors embedded in the system itself working against obtaining the proper nutrient balance. This capstone project analyzes research exploring the various factors and actors in our food system and their effects on the health of the individual consumer. This is demonstrated through thoroughly documented peer-reviewed research as well as the development of a guidebook for the consumer to navigate these issues in purchasing and preparing food. With individual informed knowledge about considering food sources, balancing dietary concerns, spending wisely and minimizing waste, the answer to the question "what should we eat?" will come more readily into focus.