POMONA, Calif. — Those researchers doing menu planning for disaster readiness need to consider plant-based meals that are universally acceptable and tolerated across cultures and religions, experts at say.
Their paper was published in May’s edition of Nutrition Journal.
Conclusions were drawn after a three-phase study was used to identify food groups that were suitable for creating disaster response diets for use in urban societies responding to a disaster.
Phase one looked at the percent daily nutrient intake score for an individual for one serving of food from 11 specific food groups. Phase two looked at nutrient density and evaluated the 11 food groups on the planning criteria: storage and handling properties, preparation ease, and cultural acceptance/individual tolerance. In phase three, three diets were developed based upon the data retrieved from phases one and two.
The researchers now suggest those nutrient professionals who design disaster menus begin to more strongly consider plant-based meals for public health institutions and organizations.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25962636