Build Up Catch UP - 6/2/23

Plant-based from Fad to Flop?; Malnutrition Assessment Methods; Spelling Matters; Book Nook Recommendations; AND ...3 Things....

On Plant-Based, ‘From FAD to FLOP?” (asks Ted Kyle of ConscienHealth)

“…In the case of fake meats, the virtue of being plant-based seems to have been insufficient to overcome the vice of ultra-processed fakery.” - Ted Kyle ConscienHealth

You can call them plant-based, meat-free, fake meat, faux meat, mock meat, meat substitutes, or meat alternatives. The popularity of packaged and fast-food/quick serve meat-free products, like faux burgers, nuggets and meals labeled “plant-based” has at least plateaued, and in some cases is winding down. Recently published sales data found that meatless meat sales in grocery stores declined by 1 percent in 2022, after zero growth in 2021.

“…in January this year, when people were encouraged to choose vegan products in “Veganuary”, sales of chilled meat alternatives fell 16.8% compared with January 2022 and frozen meat alternatives fell by 13.5%.”

The novelty of these products seems to have worn off. Initial excitement hasn’t translated to repeat purchases. Why is that? Price? Taste? Lack of versatility? A long list of ingredients? Nutrition concerns? Environmental concerns?

Podcast pick - Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Episode 5: Plant-Based Meat Challenges

Group for dietitians to join: Build Up Dietitians Foods & Culinary Group

Evaluation Methods for Malnutrition - A Comparison

Which criteria does your hospital or facility use?

Resources:

Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM)

AND-ASPEN - Malnutrition in Older Adults (Today’s Dietitian)

(image & resource credit: Dietitian Kim Hall)

Podcast Pick: ASPEN Malnutrition Diagnoses and Associated Outcomes in Hospitalized Patients - NCP - October 2021

Groups for Dietitians to Join:

Build up Dietitians - Clinical Dietetics Group & Build up Dietitians Nutrition Support

Spelling Matters - Settling the Question: “dietitian” or “dietician”?

Why is it spelled “dietitian” in the US (and other countries) and not “dietician”? And when did “dietitian” become the accepted spelling?

“In 1930, the ADA (former name for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics) executive committee at the 13th Annual Meeting considered a variety of issues, one being the official spelling of dietitian with a “t”—and this was the spelling that was adopted.”

Book Nook Recommendations

Have you ever had patients/clients ask for book recommendations so they could learn more about nutrition? Here are three books worth considering —without the logical fallacies, quackery and misinformation:

3 things worth noticing:

1. NEDA (National Eating Disorder Association) implements….and then gets rid of a chatbot. "After NEDA workers decided to unionize in early May, executives announced that on June 1, it would be ending the helpline after 20 years and instead positioning its wellness chatbot Tessa as the main support system available through NEDA....As of Tuesday (May 30th) Tessa was taken down by the organization following a viral social media post displaying how the chatbot encouraged unhealthy eating habits rather than helping someone with an eating disorder."

   

2. (Not Sponsored) “Nutrition has a TON to do with kidney stone prevention. Bad news? Most dietitians are not well versed in personalized kidney stone nutrition.”

   

   Want to learn more? Melanie Betz MS, RD, CSR, FAND specializes in kidney stone prevention: "Top 5 Things Every Dietitian Needs To Know About Kidney Stones" June 15th, 2023 - 12PM EST. Replays available to those who register. REGISTER HERE

3. Ube (pronounced “ooo-bay”) is a hot new starchy vegetable getting a lot of notice mostly because of its purple color. This purple yam is native to the Philippines, while it resembles a purple sweetpotato, it has a sweeter and nuttier taste, and the texture is more moist.

   

   Look for pretty purple photos of dishes with ube on TikTok and Instagram in pastries, puddings, ice cream and in powdered extract form, to be used to give drinks a pop of purple. Aside from specialty stores, it may be difficult to find this vegetable — you may have more luck finding it frozen (chunks or paste) or as an extract. Be careful you’re not buying a purple sweetpotato!