A weekly menu consisting primarily of frozen foods meets the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans according to a new white paper from the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI).
To demonstrate frozen foods can fit into a healthy American diet, the paper outlines a one-week menu consisting of 95 percent frozen foods. All major food groups are represented in the menu with a total cost per week of $59.66, falling within USDA’s Moderate Cost Food Plan.
“The amount of time Americans are spending preparing meals is steadily decreasing yet people are increasingly searching for reasonably priced, nutritious foods,” says Joe Clayton, AFFI interim president. “What we found through menu modeling is that Americans can meet all of their requirements—convenience, nutrition and affordability—with items offered in the frozen food aisle.”
The menu was developed to meet the nutritional needs of an adult woman 19-50 years of age based on recommendations from USDA’s MyPlate guidelines, Dietary Reference Intakes and the 2010 DGAs. Each menu was reviewed for energy and key nutrients including fat, sodium, fiber, protein and Vitamins A, C and D among others.
