The Standard American Diet, with the ironic acronym of SAD, is the stereotypical diet of most Americans, as well as other nations around the world that are slowly adopting our way of eating. The Standard American Diet consists of large amounts of meat, dairy, fat, sugar, and refined and processed foods. It consists of very little fruits and vegetables, and therefore, very little fiber. Think tons of fast food, soda, juice. Think drinking your calories. Think the middle aisles at the grocery store.
I see the effects of this diet every where I go. I am sad when I see obese children. I feel like they don’t even have a chance at a healthy life. Its like they are being set up for further difficulty losing weight and many health problems in their future. Why am I especially sad for children? They don’t have much control over what their family feeds them, and they haven’t been educated about what they should be eating. And then I go down the rabbit hole of even us adults aren’t taught what foods we should be eating.
It’s easy to look at the definition I gave for the Standard American Diet and think, “well, that’s not abnormal – we’re all busy!” But take a moment and read how Forks Over Knives breaks it down bit by bit into a little more detail. Scary details.
Forks Over Knives tells us:
What is the Standard American Diet?
- 63% of America’s calories come from refined and processed foods (e.g. soft drinks, packaged snacks like potato chips, packaged desserts, etc.)
- 25% of America’s calories come from animal-based foods
- 12% of America’s calories come from plant-based foods
Unfortunately, half of the plant-based calories (6%) come from french fries. That means only 6% of America’s calories are coming from health-promoting fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.
There’s a good reason we abbreviate standard American diet to S.A.D. The standard American diet leads to standard American diseases that lead to standard American deaths.
I have felt the effects of living the Standard American Diet. Once I did my Whole30 reset, I realized how much the food I was eating was affecting me. Now that I am making healthier food choices, I can feel the effects when I go off kilter and stray towards the Standard American Diet. For me, that means any processed foods, grains, dairy, and sugar. I generally am avoiding the processed foods, but I do still eat them. And I pay the price. I have pain from inflammation and bathroom issues. (*blush*)
NutritionFacts.org states that there are potential links between this way of eating and the following list of diseases and conditions:
- Acidosis, which may contribute to progressive muscle loss
- Acne
- Greater risk of Alzheimer’s disease
- Greater risk of atherosclerosis
- Reduced breast cancer survival
- Greater risk for breast pain
- Higher levels of IGF-1, a growth hormone associated with cancer risk
- Thicker carotid arteries, linked to cardiovascular mortality risk
- Elevated levels of bad cholesterol
- Increased absorption of endotoxins
- Greater risk of enlarged prostate and heart attack
- Dangerous types of free radicals
- Greater risk of heart disease
- Unhealthy inflammation and oxidation
- Greater risk of inflammatory bowel disease
- Reduction of inner blood vessel lining functioning
- Declining kidney function
- Lower back problems
- Worsening of lung function and asthma control
- Greater risk of pancreatic cancer
- Greater risk of preterm delivery
- Greater risk for prostate cancer
- Obesity
- Small stools
- Traces of toxic waste in breast milk
You know what? I’d rather spend money now on foods that are healthier for me and help fight these diseases than on medical expenses later on in life. And who wants to be sick? Or in pain? NOT ME. And I sure as heck don’t want that for my children.
You know what’s even scarier? The Standard American Diet is taking over the world as other countries become more wealthy and desire to eat more like Americans. While there is still a large gap between the wealthiest countries and poorest countries in terms of food access, slowly but surely, the processed foods are making their way around the world.
Takepart tells us:
Today, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 90 percent of Americans consume too much sodium, and roughly one-third of the population is obese…In industrialized countries, cheap food is not only high in calories but takes little time to prepare. This translates into a lot of frozen meals, fast food, and other out-of-the-box meals that are often formulated for taste rather than health. In the U.S., 75 percent of all sodium comes from processed foods and restaurant meals, the CDC reports.
2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines devotes a full chapter to the current eating patterns in the United States. You can read this full report here.
- About three-fourths of the population has an eating pattern that is low in vegetables, fruits, dairy, and oils.
- More than half of the population is meeting or exceeding total grain and total protein foods recommendations, but, as discussed later in the chapter, are not meeting the recommendations for the subgroups within each of these food groups.
- Most Americans exceed the recommendations for added sugars, saturated fats, and sodium.
In addition, the eating patterns of many are too high in calories. Calorie intake over time, in comparison to calorie needs, is best evaluated by measuring body weight status. The high percentage of the population that is overweight or obese suggests that many in the United States overconsume calories. As documented in the Introduction, Table I-1, more than two-thirds of all adults and nearly one-third of all children and youth in the United States are either overweight or obese.
Its so sad that so many of us aren’t even meeting the minimal guidelines for fruits and vegetables set by the USDA. No wonder we are getting sicker and fatter.
Action Steps You Can Take
Ok, now, what are some action steps you can take to move away from the Standard American Diet?
- Go read all those wonderful articles I linked to up there. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, think of it as gaining control to make better choices in the future. (Heart smiling? Check!)
- Exchange processed snacks for fresh produce. (Heart smiling? Check!)
- Fill your plates with vegetables as the main dish. Make meats and grains the side dishes while your veggies are the star of your meal. (Heart smiling? Check!)
Small changes in little steps like these can go a long way in making healthier food choices that help you feel better. What are you planning to do to start removing the Standard American Diet from your lifestyle? I’d love to hear your thoughts and questions, so feel free to leave a comment after the related posts show below or send me an email. Thanks for visiting. I appreciate you!
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