Archive for March, 2011

(You will find a summary of  ALL surveys combined under Grazing Pastures.)

Dec 2010 Survey – Very similar results to the previous survey in May 2010.

Most are still afraid of fat in the milk. A large percent (41%) still thinks that soy milk is the healthiest milk to drink, and 52% drink it on a daily basis. A very large percent (85%) didn’t know what cholesterol is. 46% thought polyunsaturated oils were best to cook with (I shiver every time I see this!) and almost nobody (98%) thought butter/ghee was good to cook with. The most encouraging results were that few (13%) drank soda regularly (but many (41%) often drank fruit juice) and 78% ate meat (maybe not grass-fed though..) and there were no vegetarians or vegans. (Glad to hear that!)  More details below.

Milk
Choosing between soy milk and the different kinds of cow milk, 41% thought soy milk to be the healthiest. 85% were afraid of fat in the milk. (More women were afraid of fat in the milk.) 2% (3 people) thought raw milk to be healthiest.

Cholesterol
85% did not know what cholesterol is. 71% thought it was either a toxic substance found in our arteries or a type of fat in foods, which we should avoid eating. 15% chose the right answer which is that cholesterol is a substance protecting cell membranes!

Butter and Oils
98% did not think butter/ghee was good to cook with. 46% thought it was best to cook with polyunsaturated vegetable oils. (I shiver every time I see this!) 40% thought olive oil was best for cooking.

Food and Drink Habits
68% ate breakfast every day. 11% skipped breakfast and the rest had breakfast 2-5 days of the week. 78% ate meat quite often 90% of males, 70% of females. There were no vegetarians or vegans. (Glad to hear that.)

Rice/Noodles were popular food items: 76% ate these on a regular basis, and 51% ate boxed cereals, 43% had eggs, and 17% had tofu on a regular basis.

52% drank soy milk and/or eat tofu. 25% ate edamame and 15% ate any of the fermented soy products, such as miso, tempeh, natto, shoyu, and tamari regularly. 5% ate soy burgers and 16% tried to avoid eating soy.
41% drank fruit juice and 13% drank soda regularly.

Food Labels and Nutritional Information
89% read food labels always or sometimes, and more females than males read them.
Parents are the most important source for health and nutrition advice, followed by health class, websites and books/magazines.