Background and Aim: Collecting accurate dietary information in the research setting is challenging due to the inherent biases, duration, and resource-intensive nature of traditional data collection methods. Diet ID™ is a novel, rapid assessment method that uses an image-based algorithm to identify dietary patterns and estimate nutrient intake. The purpose of this analysis was to explore the criterion validity between Diet ID™ and additional measures of dietary intake. Methods: This prospective cohort study (n = 42) collected dietary information using Diet ID™, the Nutrition Data System for Research (NDSR), plasma carotenoid concentrations, and the Veggie Meter^® to estimate carotenoid levels in the skin. Results: There were significant correlations between Diet ID™ and NDSR for diet quality, calories, carbohydrates, protein, fiber, and cholesterol. Vitamin A and carotenoid intake were significantly correlated, with the exception of α-carotene and lycopene. Significant correlations were observed for calcium, folate, iron, sodium, potassium, Vitamins B₂, B₃, B₆, C, and E. Skin carotenoid scores and plasma carotenoids were correlated with carotenoid intake from Diet ID™. Conclusions: Diet ID™ may be a useful tool in nutrition research as a less time-intensive and minimally burdensome dietary data collection method for both participants and researchers.

Adolescent obesity and poor diet quality are increasingly prevalent and could be mitigated with attainment of food literacy. However, as these programs for adolescents are lacking, the purpose of this project was to develop a food literacy curriculum for high school-aged adolescents. The curriculum was designed in accordance with food literacy attributes and components utilizing Backward Design, Social Cognitive Theory, and Constructivism. After expert committee review, pilot testing was completed in two low-income communities by a trained facilitator and observer. Detailed observations were collected during pilot testing to assess achievement of learning objectives. Modifications were made to lesson procedures as required. The resulting curriculum, Teens CAN: Comprehensive Food Literacy in Cooking, Agriculture, and Nutrition, contains 12 modules of experiential lessons and application activities within three topics. Agriculture lessons concentrate on the food supply chain and food environments; nutrition lessons include food groups while focusing on nutrients of concern for underconsumption; and cooking lessons include food safety, budgeting, and preparation. Teens CAN provides a comprehensive and necessary approach to advancing food literacy in adolescents. Future directions include assessing dietary implications after participating in Teens CAN lessons and employment of an innovative two-tiered cross-age teaching model.

Objectives: Food insecurity among college students, combined with limited nutrition knowledge and barriers to healthy eating, significantly impacts diet quality and fruit and vegetable intake. Efforts to address these issues are further complicated by the challenges of accurately and efficiently collecting dietary data in research settings. This study aimed to explore the relationship between nutrition knowledge and fruit/vegetable intake using skin, plasma, and dietary carotenoid levels as biomarkers. Methods: Undergraduate and graduate students aged 18 years and older (n = 166) from a California public university were recruited. The sample was predominately female (n = 133, 80%), with 30 males (18%) and three individuals (2%) identifying as non-binary. Food security was assessed using the USDA’s 10-item Adult Food Security Survey Module and nutrition knowledge through a validated questionnaire. Biological data included blood samples and skin carotenoid measurements (Veggie Meter^®). Dietary quality (HEI-2015) and carotenoid intake were assessed through Diet ID™, a photo-based assessment tool. Results: The mean nutrition knowledge scores were 36.55 ± 8.83 out of 58 points, and the mean skin carotenoid score was 307.07 ± 110.22. Higher knowledge scores were associated with increased plasma carotenoids, HEI-score, and Diet ID™ total carotenoids. Food security classification did not significantly impact nutrition knowledge but did influence HEI scores and skin carotenoid levels, with very low food security linked to poorer diet quality and lower carotenoid levels. Conclusions: Nutrition knowledge may serve as a significant predictor of fruit and vegetable intake in university students. Despite this correlation, the impact of overall diet quality is potentially hindered by an individual’s food security status. Therefore, while knowledge is critical, addressing food insecurity is essential for enhancing diet quality among college students.

To investigate the impact of a college-level nutrition course on factors related to food agency. Pre-post study. Four-year, large, public, land-grant university. Students enrolled in Nutrition 10, an introductory nutrition course (n = 1,873), and a comparison group of students not taking the course (n = 1,125) who completed both the pre- and post-surveys over an academic quarter (3 quarters total). The 92-item questionnaire included the Money Expenditure Scale, Coping Strategy Scale, nutrition knowledge, and the 10-item US Department of Agriculture's Adult Food Security Survey Module. Wilcoxon ranksum tests, ttests, and regression models examined associations between nutrition knowledge and key variables. Structural equation modeling assessed bidirectional relationships. Students who took the class improved nutrition knowledge (+2.23 ± 5.14 points) compared with a decline in the comparison group (-0.42 points ± 3.55; P < 0.001). Structural equation modeling indicated increased nutrition knowledge was associated with lower Money Expenditure Scale (β = -0.03, P = 0.04) and Coping Strategy Scale (β = -0.17, P < 0.001) scores. Existing nutrition courses could help improve nutrition knowledge and factors related to food agency. Future research is needed to identify how improvements in nutrition knowledge translate into sustained behavioral changes that enhance food security in higher education.

Context: Adolescent dairy intake supports physical and mental development accompanying this transitional life stage; however, research exploring the role of dairy on adolescent health outcomes provides inconsistent findings across studies. Objective: A comprehensive systematic review was performed (April 2024) to identify literature published within the past 25 years that investigated the association between dairy products and health outcomes among adolescents in the United States. Data Sources: Using the PubMed, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases, eligible articles for inclusion had a primary exposure of bovine dairy or dairy-based products and 1 or more health outcomes critically important to adolescent development, defined a priori. Data Extraction: Eligible articles (n = 97) examined the association of dairy with body composition (n = 41), bone (n = 31), metabolism (n = 26), skin (n = 4), mental/cognitive health (n = 5), and athletic performance, muscle strength, and recovery (n = 3). Most of the studies were observational (n = 80), included male and female participants (n = 55), and diverse populations (n = 30). Data Synthesis: Among adolescents in the United States (ages 9-18 years) who consumed dairy products including fluid milk, yogurt, and cheese, among others, the associations with body composition, metabolic outcomes, athletic performance, muscle strength, and recovery, and mental or cognitive health were inconclusive, with multiple studies reporting positive, negative, and nonsignificant findings. Overall, there were positive associations reported between dairy intake and bone health, and negative associations with skin health. Conclusion: The findings presented in this review are the impetus for future research to expand on existing evidence to examine dairy and health outcomes in diverse adolescent populations. Emerging biomarkers associated with health-related components of dairy posit the opportunity to explore understudied health outcomes in adolescents. Additional research should seek to understand the influences of dairy intake to inform interventions aimed at improving the nutritional quality of adolescents’ diets. Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO registration No. CRD42024540660