1. (NU) - We’ve come a long
way in recent years to lead health-
ier lives, with yoga studios and
juice bars seemingly on every
corner and even fast food restau-
rants promoting healthier choic-
es. Convenience has been key in
maintaining these new priorities
-- often, if it’s not easy to do, we
abandon it quickly (likely the rea-
son so many New Year’s resolu-
tions don’t stick). But many
health improvements in the foods
and beverages we regularly enjoy
have not only made it possible,
but also easy to achieve a bal-
anced and wholesome diet.
Removing unhealthy fats, sug-
ar and salt from foods and drinks
is an established trend. Swapping
those additives for ingredients such
as carrageenan, a soluble fiber
sourced from red seaweed, has
made it possible to deliver healthy
foods without sacrificing indul-
gence. That fat-free pudding can
still be creamy and delicious
thanks to naturally derived ingre-
dients like carrageenan, allowing
the treat in your child’s brown bag
lunch to be healthier without him
or her even noticing.
Adding vitamins and nutri-
ents to popular products is mak-
ing convenience even healthier
-- like tasty dairy beverages
packed with protein for meals on
the go or ready-made infant for-
mula enriched with Omega-3
DHA for healthy development.
Again, naturally derived ingre-
dients help to maintain product
integrity -- taste, texture and
palatability -- while withstand-
ing the essential processes that
make these types of products
healthy, shelf-stable and safe.
Vitamin supplements have
also been growing in popularity
as more is discovered about the
value of different nutrients. In
particular, Omega-3 supplements
are becoming a staple for fami-
lies that want the health benefits
of seafood but can’t get it on a
regular basis, either due to cost or
availability. We’re now starting
to see more diversity in Omega-
3 supplements, including target-
ed concentration offerings spe-
cific to certain health concerns
such as healthy aging, mood and
cognition, as well as emerging ar-
eas like inflammatory conditions.
Capsules themselves are becom-
ing more convenient through in-
creasing concentrations that make
them smaller and easier to take.
And by taking a page from nutri-
tion’s evolution, carrageenan is
being used to produce vegetari-
an-based capsules, making these
compatible with vegan, halal and
kosher requirements.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle
isn’t always convenient or easy,
but we’ve taken the steps to make
wholesome nutrition readily and
widely available, and the progress
we’ve made will only advance
through continued research, sci-
ence and a commitment to feeding
the growing world.
To learn more about the in-
gredients that make staying
healthy less work, please visit
FoodScienceMatters.com.
Ingredients Like Carrageenan Make
Healthy Choices More Convenient
FOOD
NewsUSA
Making healthy choices has
never been easier.
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