Reliable Nutrition Information

Nutrition information is everywhere! Billboards, newspapers, websites, and just in our every day conversations. With so much information being thrown at us from so many different sources it can be difficult to determine what is good information and what may not be.

The best and easiest place to start finding reliable nutrition information is on the ChooseMyPlate.gov website. This website is published by the USDA and is based off of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans--a peer reviewed set of nutrition guidelines. The ChooseMyPlate website offers a variety of resources including healthy eating tips, tools for estimating food intake needs, and interactive tools like SuperTracker that allows you to input the foods you eat and assesses your diet. For more in depth nutrition information and to read why MyPlate makes the recommendations it does, you can also look at the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This report is updated and published every five years to reflect the most up-to-date nutrition information. To access the document follow this link.

Now these are just two resources you can use to find nutrition information. But what if you come across an article and want to know if it's valid? Well, there are a few things you can look for that will help you tell. First, you should look at the author who wrote the article. Do they have credentials to be giving nutrition advice? If they are a Registered Dietitian, they are likely to be sharing good, reliable information. You can tell this if you see R.D. next to their name (which stands for Registered Dietitian). If the author is not a Registered Dietitian, it's harder to tell. For example, if the article is written by a doctor, it may or may not be reliable. Doctors aren't actually required to have nutrition backgrounds, so it may not be reliable. Then again, this doctor may have extensive experience and knowledge on nutrition, thus making it a reliable source. See how it can get a little complicated? Your best bet is to stick with the information outlined on the ChooseMyPlate website, USDA websites, FDA websites, or to seek out community resources to answer your nutrition related questions.

The best resource for nutrition information is a Registered Dietitian. In order to be considered a Registered Dietitian, an individual must meet certain academic requirements (bachelor's degree in nutrition/dietetics), have 1200 hours practical experience, and pass a nationally certifying exam. These strict regulations ensure that Registered Dietitians are passing along reliable information. In contrast, a nutritionist does not have any standards to define that term. Anyone could consider themselves a nutritionist without any education. Just something to pay attention to.

There are other community resources that are reliable even if they don't come straight from a Registered Dietitian. Cooperative Extension agencies in each county have agents that focus on nutrition and health. The information that the agents share is also reliable. Likewise, information and resources coming from universities are also good sources of information based on academics.

If you're interested in contacting a dietitian on campus, Katherine Ingerson serves as the Registered Dietitian for UGA Foodservices. Her email is ingerson@uga.edu. You can also talk to one of the two Registered Dietitians at the University Health Center. Check out the website for more information!