Fish and Fish-Based Products for Nutrition and Health in the First 1000 Days: A Systematic Review of the Evidence from Low and Middle-Income Countries.

Fish provide essential nutrients for the critical window of growth and development in the first 1000 d of life and are thus an attractive option for inclusion in nutrition-sensitive and nutrition-specific programming. We conducted a systematic review of the evidence for fish and fish-based products for nutrition and health outcomes during the first 1000 d of life in low- and middle-income countries, searching the peer-reviewed and gray literature from 1999 to 2020. Databases included PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, ProQuest, and the Clinical Trials repository. Our search returned 1135 articles, 39 of which met the inclusion criteria. All studies were dual evaluated for risk of bias. Of the included studies, 18 measured maternal health and nutrition outcomes and 24 measured infant/child outcomes (3 measured both). Our search uncovered 10 impact evaluations, all of which measured consumption of fish or fish-based complementary food products in children aged 6-24 mo. We did not find strong evidence for fish consumption in children improving child growth from the impact evaluations; however, the studies were highly heterogeneous in their design and likely underpowered to detect an effect. Results from observational studies were mixed but provided evidence that adding fish to maternal and child diets is associated with improved nutrition outcomes, such as reducing the risk of anemia and improving vitamin D status. Given the nutrient richness of fish and the fact that production is often more environmentally friendly as compared with other animal source foods, more robust evidence is needed on the role of fish consumption in nutrition interventions to inform policy and programming recommendations in low- and middle-income countries.

Nutrient Composition of a Selection of Plant-Based Ground Beef Alternative Products Available in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Sales of plant-based foods intended as direct replacements for animal products have been growing in the United States. Little is known about the nutritional quality of these products. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to evaluate the nutritional quality of a selection of plant-based ground beef alternative products available in the US marketplace and compare it with the nutrient content of ground beef. DESIGN: We conducted an analysis of the food and nutrient composition information available for plant-based ground beef alternative products in the 2020 version of the University of Minnesota Nutrition Coordinating Center Food and Nutrient Database. PARTICIPANT/SETTING: We analyzed a selection of 37 plant-based ground beef alternative products available in the United States in 2019. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: Food product content of energy, macronutrients, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and selected additional food components was measured. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The percent Daily Value (DV) per 3-ounce cooked portion of each product was determined for nutrients with a DV. The median, interquartile range (IQR), minimum, and maximum nutrient values were calculated for all products by classification as vegan and nonvegan. RESULTS: The median saturated fat content of the plant-based ground beef alternatives products as a %DV was 4% (IQR 2%). Vitamin and minerals for which median %DV values for plant-based ground beef alternative products were 10% or higher included folate (10%, IQR 10%), niacin (21%, IQR 7%), iron (10%, IQR 5%), phosphorous (10%, IQR 4%), sodium (18%, IQR 7%), manganese (20%, IQR 20%), and copper (24%, IQR 10%). The median dietary fiber content of the plant-based ground beef alternative products was 15% of the DV (IQR 6%). Most of the products contained less protein, zinc, and vitamin B12 than ground beef. CONCLUSIONS: The major brands of plant-based ground beef alternative products examined in this study have nutritional strengths as well as some shortcomings. Additional research to examine a broader set of plant-based meat alternative products, such as those designed as substitutes for chicken and pork, is warranted.