3/3/25: Big Food Flops (When they try & make everyone happy); Gifts from Donut Season for NNM; Grocery Shopping Tips; MAHA changes? & more

Because EVERYBODY Eats

Jennifer Wilfong, moderator for our PEDIATRICS group shared this image from the Library of Congress from 1922.

Were kids in 1922 really being given🍷 wine and 🍺beer?

🙋🏽‍♀️Because this newsletter has PARTNER content (Donut Season), there will be no paywall, so it is 🆓FREE to read. Please consider becoming a PAID monthly or annual subscriber. Your subscription helps encourage the writing of this newsletter and helps pay for events like our Build Up Meet Ups and Mini Meet Ups (like the one we’ll be doing at ASPEN this month!) and supplies our moderators with honorariums.

🏭Substack: Big food has tried to make us healthy again and we let them flop

Canadian dietitian, Brittany Raftis has a really interesting read (hyperlink in title) about the food industry’s various attempts over the years to respond to consumer demands and changing ingredients…many of which were dismal failures. She includes several examples in this newsletter. With some of the things going on in the U.S right now, and state-level calls to change products and remove ingredients, this may provide a cautionary note.

“…At the end of the day, consumers like what they like —familiarity, reliability, good flavour, and they dislike change. So, we can advocate for changing ingredients and nutrient profiles all we want, but if consumer demand for these “cleaner labels” isn’t really there, these products won’t stay on shelves for long. And if we can learn anything from history, the loudest voices in wellness don’t always represent the opinions of the masses….”

Here’s one example Brittany mentions.

“…In the two years that followed, General Mills experienced both a drop in cereal sales and negative feedback from consumers. For example, Trix fans revolted against the new version of the cereal, claiming that the colour change made it “unappealing”. In 2017, General Mills announced that they would return Trix to its beloved neon colouring. They have also since (quietly) added back artificial colours in their other cereals in the U. S., such as Fruity Cheerios and Lucky Charms…”

🫱🏼‍🫲🏼Build Up Mini Meet Up - Georgia

Julie Brake, one of our moderators, passed out Build Up Dietitians pens at the annual meeting for the Georgia Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics

🎁NNM Gifts by Donut Season

Looking for gifts for your RD, RD2Be friends for National Nutrition Month or RD Day (March 12th)? Check out Donut Season (owned by dietitian Miranda Regan) Use promo code NNMBUD25 or go directly to the Build Up Dietitians affiliate link: https://donutseason.com/?ref=BuildUpDietitians for a 15% discount on all regularly priced items (minus gift cards, clearance, and bundles). (Note: Build Up Dietitians receives a small commission (2%) on items sold and we use these funds for events like our Build Up Meet Ups and Mini Meet Ups and biannual honorariums for moderators for our groups.)

🏪Substack: Groceries Aren't Cheap, and Shopping Is Stressful

Photo by John Cameron on Unsplash

Dietitian Cara Harbstreet has written a helpful guide (hyperlink in title) to different ways to save, not only money but time and energy and stress, when grocery shopping. One of Cara’s tips that’s kind of unusual is that one way to reduce stress is by shopping when there are major events happening (like football games) so the store is less crowded.

🥫DYK: MAHA Changes?

“In accordance with the memorandum of January 20, 2025, from the President, entitled “Regulatory Freeze Pending Review,” the effective date of the final rule entitled “Food Labeling: Nutrient Content Claims; Definition of Term `Healthy,'” is delayed until April 28, 2025.”Use of the Term Healthy on Food Labeling | FDA

❓Just curious if this initiative is part of the MAHA-effect and what will happen to it?

🤔State-Level Food/Nutrition Initiatives

Photo by Pete Alexopoulos on Unsplash

This is what is happening in Texas…how about YOUR state? (note bold portions)

“…It would also require nutrition education for all Texas physicians, medical students or residents. ❓ (who provides the education?)

Senate Bill 25 creates a Texas Nutrition Advisory Committee to examine the link between ultra-processed foods, foods containing artificial colors and food additives, and chronic diseases. The committee would include one expert in metabolic health, one licensed physician certified in functional medicine, one member representing the Texas Department of Agriculture, one representing a rural community and one representing an urban community. ❓(Why a M.D certified in functional medicine? (aka quack promoters…and what about DIETITIANS?)

Committee members would not be able to own or control a 3% or greater ownership interest in a food, beverage or pharmaceutical manufacturing company or be related to someone who does. ❓(What about supplements? Are supplement companies okay?)

Take a look at what’s going on in YOUR state…let us know what sort of bills are being discussed. Many people talk about the importance of RDs having a “seat at the table” when it comes to nutrition policy. What if that “table” is in your community or state and not just nationally?