Taste trumps all when it comes to food

Admit it. You like saying you like nutritious foods.

But you’ll chow down on those veggies and whole grains only if you can still savor plates of spare ribs, mounds of french fries and big ol’ cups of cola.

That seems to be the prevailing attitude of U.S. consumers today, according to the latest installment of the American Dietetic Association’s nutrition survey. The consumer foods review, which started in 1991, is a reminder to nutritionists that taste remains the biggest influence on what people eat.

“A lot of people are afraid of giving up their favorite foods,“ says Sarah Kreiger, a St. Petersburg dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. “Taste trumps everything. Convenience, cost — everything else comes second.“

The 2008 survey found that 79 percent of consumers are satisfied with what they currently eat, and 73 percent don’t want to give up the foods they like. Kreiger wasn’t surprised by the survey of 783 adults nationwide. After all, most people hire her as a nutritionist only after a doctor tells them they must better manage their weight and diet.

“We’re not surprised people don’t want to change,“ she says. “Obesity rates are rising, but people don’t want to change.“

The survey does offer signs of hope. Americans are eating more healthy foods, such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables, says Jeannie Gazzaniga-Moloo a California dietitian who presented the survey findings to the national association this fall.

Consumption of higher-fat foods such as dairy, pork and beef however, remained about the same as in 2002, when the survey was last taken. And overall calorie intake remains a concern.

“Over the past five years, there’s been a number of public health education campaigns and we’ve also seen the food industry make changes. All these factors have played a role,“ she says. “But we still have a long way to go.“

The best way to increase nutrition is to hammer away on the need for people to pay better attention to portion control and the frequency with which they eat those favorite sinful foods.

“We need to remind them that even changing small things make a difference,“ Gazzaniga-Moloo says.