Soda and snack companies sponsoring nutrition conferences may not be as offensive as you think- find out my take:
Why I’m OK with Soda Companies Sponsoring Nutrition Conferences
Disclosure: I have no financial ties to any companies mentioned in this post at the time of printing.
Yes, I said it, but hear me out. As a registered dietitian, I’m OK with soda companies sponsoring nutrition conferences. Hint- it’s not as simple as you think. One very important thing I’ve learned from working in the media is the sound bite never tells the whole story.
Why would a nutrition conference promote a soda company?
I have attended the Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo (FNCE) for the past seven years. Each year there is some huffing and puffing in the media when they obtain the sponsor list and see companies like PepsiCo among the many conference sponsors. The most recent controversy arose with the publication of an article in Time just before the start of this year’s FNCE in Boston.
While it seems obvious that dietitians would want nothing to do with soda, the headlines do not tell the whole story. I assure you, we are not standing around in large groups with big gulp-sized cups of syrupy soda, and for the record, I have never and would never suggest that a patient or client add regular soda to their daily diet. However, the point being missed here is that large companies we perceive as solely soda companies are the parent companies of many smaller brands.
Do you eat oatmeal? Enjoy hummus? How about OJ? Do you consider those nutritious foods? Well, at the very large PepsiCo sponsored booth at FNCE, I sampled products from Quaker, Tropicana, and Sabra, three brands I love and regularly enjoy myself as well as recommended them to my patients and clients.
It’s difficult enough in this world to educate and persuade clients to incorporate healthier items into their lifestyles. If we punish smaller brands who offer wholesome, nutritious foods just because they are affiliated with a larger brand we don’t deem healthy, who does that help? Just saying. We live in an economic climate where it is very difficult for small independent brands to survive. That’s not their fault. And on the flip side, I give credit to companies known for producing sweet beverages and processed snack foods when they begin producing more nutrient-dense choices.
Dietitians are not hoodwinked by marketing.
As an RD, I studied A LOT of science. Chemistry, biochemistry, physiology, biology, microbiology, nutritional biochemistry and much more. If I stumble upon a product I believe is unhealthy eg: soda, I am certainly comfortable making that assessment and moving on. RDs understand the importance of professional integrity and the responsibility we bear to share science-based information with our patients, clients, and media.
Registered Dietitians are quite capable of looking past marketing materials to find healthier products in a company’s portfolio. The same goes for snack foods. The Time article mentions Nestle as a company that makes candy and snack foods. Well, they also produce Lean Cuisines which are nutritious frozen meal options, and Libby’s canned pumpkin which contains one ingredient- pumpkin. I don’t feel that creating recipes with Libby’s pumpkin equates to supporting candy manufacturers, do you? I also love Nestle’s adorable decorative bottled waters to encourage water consumption for kids. That’s a good thing, no? I even ordered a bunch to hand out for Halloween after seeing them at FNCE.
Nestle Share-a-Scare water
In all honesty, though these companies garner a lot of attention, they make up a very small part of the FNCE exhibit floor. Check out what I found at this year’s FNCE – I assure you, these products reflect the majority of what we see at nutrition conferences and also hit on the latest trends.
Soda and snack companies sponsoring nutrition conferences may not be so bad- find out why: http://wp.me/p4LsrV-Ec Share on X Quick meals:
Balance by BistroMD offers chef-prepared meals made with fresh ingredients delivered to your door. No subscription necessary, you purchase what you want a la carte. There are different options to meet varying dietary needs.
Balance by BistroMD home delivered meals
Morningstar Farms veggie bowls are low calorie, tasty vegetarian and vegan meal options such as Chik’n Tikka Masala, Moroccan Medley, Chick’n Pot Pie, Japanese Soba Noodles and Italian “Sausage” Bake.
Morningstar Farms Veggie Bowls
Q Cups offers organic quinoa in a cup that’s ready in 5 minutes! Flavors include Organic Quinoa with a hint of sea salt, Southwest Barbeque with black beans, corn and red pepper, or Savory Garlic and Mushroom
Q Cups organic quinoa cups
Eat Smart Superfood Salad Blends are an obsession of mine. I love the awesome variety of flavors and veggies you can purchase. Enjoy them as part of another recipe or as the base of an entrée salad. My favorites are the cabbage and veggie blends because they don’t get soggy so you can enjoy them for a few meals. Huge time saver!
Eat Smart Superfood Salad Blend Kits
Plant-based foods:
Veggie Fries have taken it up a notch with these “healthier” fries made from chickpeas, red peppers and potatoes. Kids love them and you can feel great about serving them to your family while packing an extra nutritional punch.
Veggie Fries
SILK Protein– new to the scene is this almond and cashewmilk blend with as much protein as dairy milk, though the source is pea protein and brown rice protein. Only 2 grams of sugar as well. Nice.
SILK protein dairy-free plantmilk
Hemp Heart Toppers by Manitoba Harvest– new on the market are these awesome hemp seed mixes in both savory and sweet varieties to add to salads and soups or oatmeal and yogurt.
Manitoba Harvest Hemp Heart Toppers
“Natural” foods made without added preservatives:
This Dietz and Watson Originals Buffalo Style Chicken Sausage is delicious! I’m a sucker for spicy food but it’s hard to find a sausage with nutrition facts that make me smile. These are tasty AND pass my label test. YUM!
Dietz & Watson Natural Buffalo Style Chicken Sausage
PurePB Powdered Peanut Butter– It’s no secret that I’m a huge powdered pb fan, and I was blown away to learn that my Apple Peanut Butter Protein Smoothie won the #ClutterFreePB Fall Smoothie Contest sponsored by Crazy Richards. Their PurePB is just peanuts- that’s it. Some other brands add salt and sugar. I’m a fan of starting plain and adding in what you need. Love this stuff!
Crazy Richards recipe contest winner!
Honorable mention to:
Chobani for the incredibly creative and delicious yogurt combos served daily. What a menu!! The roasted beet and quinoa tabbouleh with pomegranate vinaigrette was unbelievable.
Roasted Beet and Quinoa Tabouleh with Pomegranate Vinaigrette
Chobani daily menu at FNCE
Lipton for making Matcha Green Tea bags. Matcha is a hot trend for both tea drinkers and creative culinary peeps. It’s exciting to see a mainstream supermarket brand offer matcha so everyone can enjoy it. I personally love the slight metabolic boost it provides 🙂
Lipton Matcha Green Tea
Let’s not forget the many whole foods and commodity boards featured at FNCE including strawberries, walnuts, pistachios, avocados, almonds, raspberries, citrus, pears, blackberries, dried plums, cranberries and many more.
California Strawberries with Felicia Stoler and Toby Amidor
I would LOVE to know how others feel about the topic at hand. Should the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics avoid accepting sponsorships from “soda and snack companies” even though the products they choose to feature at exhibits are nutritious? Please weigh in and leave a comment below!
UPDATE: After the posting of this blog, I was interviewed on the Farm to Table Talk podcast to discuss my motivation for writing the article and my views on “Junk to Table” at FNCE. I’d love to hear your thoughts!!
Great post, Lauren – I hope this reaches a wide audience!
Thanks for the support, Serena!
Great post Lauren! Thanks for this summary of the Expo hall…there were some really interesting products there. Important for those who don’t attend to see the types of things we as dietitians can learn.
Thanks, Leah!
Great perspective 🙂 Loved meeting you at FNCE!
Wonderful to meet you too!
You make very good points. It’s so easy when things are “black and white” but they rarely are.
This article is EVERYTHING I have been trying to say but couldn’t. Thank you!!! I also point out that EACH of these companies employ RDs as well.
Thanks, Holly! I appreciate the support!
Great article Lauren! I was not able to attend FNCE this year, but really enjoyed your summary of products, and completely agree with you that these companies have healthy products too. Thanks for writing this 🙂
Thanks, Linzy!
Spot on, Lauren! It can be hard to separate large parent companies from smaller products, so this is a great explanation. I think so many people get wrapped up in the sound bites and then move on, without looking more in depth!
Well, yes indeed. Love this perspective. We really need to look at the big picture here. 🙂
This is a great post, Lauren! I hope more people read & understand our reasoning behind this 🙂
Thanks, Emily!
Great perspective!
Thanks, Amy!!
You make a great point about large “unhealthy” companies owning the smaller “healthy” companies. It is amazing to learn about what company really owns who and something not everyone considers. Great post overall.
Thanks, Ally!
I always think we dietitians can learn a lot from listening to these big multi-nationals eg how the product is made, what is popular, what’s not, what shoppers are saying to them etc. YOu’re so right – dietitians can see through the marketing material and get to the crux of the food. I receive emails from PR companies telling me about their latest and best new food product – but I always have to ask for the list of ingredients and/or the nutrition panel. And then I make up my mind! Thank you for putting that down on your blog for us all to read.
Thanks so much, Catherine!
Great points, Lauren. Like you, I enjoy a lot of these brands who are owned by larger parent companies. My beef is when soda companies have booths where they are promoting soda (which I’ve seen at FNCE) and/or are pushing a fitness initiative (which in my opinion is their way of deflecting attention from their product) or are sponsoring a session on a topic like sugar or diabetes and not giving the full picture. That’s my two cents. 🙂
I love your 2 cents and agree totally- especially about the fitness piece. I just feel badly when healthy brands are hurt due to guilt by association.
Great perspective Lauren! Many people don’t realize that these big soda companies own brands of smaller brands dietitians enjoy and do approve of.
Thanks so much!!!
Great points you raise here Lauren! I think such collaborations open opportunities to raise awareness/educate which may not readily be available.
Thank you, Shahzadi!!
Nestle may make ” The very best… Chocolate”According to their old motto, but I visited their FNCE booth to learn about their boost products, their new carnation instant breakfast product, and their new liquid supplement appropriate for the low FODMAP diet. Rolled my eyes at the gym guy promoting his Protes protein chips, and noticed that pretty much everyone was ignoring the sugar association booth. Indeed, everything is not black and white, and as RDs we are trained to weed through the science. Bravo for your article!
Thanks for your support, Mary-Jo!
Wonderful Post Lauren! I think it’s a great perspective! Also, those veggie fries look interesting! I haven’t seen them in Canada yet but I will keep my eyes out 🙂
Thanks, Charlene!
Great post! I think as Dietitians we need to be aware of everything offered on the market so we can make timely recommendations to our clients.
Thanks Nazima, that’s exactly how I feel.
Bravo!!! Great post and I could not agree more. I really enjoyed the expo this year and thought there was a great variety of healthy and new products I’m glad to know about.
Thanks, Ann!!!
Your perspectives are spot on. Thanks for being a voice of reason and an advocate for balance.
This is such a divided issue, and, honestly I can appreciate opinions from those who stand on both sides. You raise an important point about healthier alternative offered by soda (and other) companies. Thanks for sharing your position so eloquently!
Thanks you so much EA, your words are much appreciated!
This is GREAT! I just listened to your interview on Farm to Table Talk and was nodding my head throughout the whole thing! I also attended FNCE and just bought the Nestle Halloween water for trick or treaters as well. This is such an important issue for RDs to weigh in on. Props to you!!!!
You bring up so many great points here Lauren. What I love is your initial comment on how basically every side has two stories- it’s important not to throw all your eggs in one basket and form an opinion before doing research!
Thanks so much, Liz!!