1.

30-Minute Workouts for Any Schedule

• What is non-inclusive and/or problematic about the following food/nutrition
messaging example?
With the title saying “workouts for any schedule”, this nutrition messaging seems to be designed
for the general public. However, the article author automatically assumed that everyone has a
break in between their work schedule, has family members living with them, or has a work type
that always includes meetings. These exercise plans don’t seem to apply to individuals who don’t
have a flexible work schedule, live alone, or with jobs that do not include conversational
meetings.
• What can be done to make this more inclusive?
Not everyone owns a dishwasher. Thus, consider replacing the exercise example with another
activity that doesn’t include any appliance/equipment would make the article sounds more
inclusive. If the author truly is aimed for designing workout suggestions for any schedule, he/she
should include exercise plans that are practical for people with a different work-life schedule, for
example, blue-collar workers who don’t have meetings as their main job duties. [1] In addition to
involve the family in daily fitness, the author can mention friends and co-workers as fitness
partners for those who do not live with family members.
• How can you apply principles for making this messaging more inclusive to your
dietetics practice?
To make this messaging more inclusive to my dietetics practice, I will consider including
exercise suggestions for those who don’t have a regular work schedule. I will also be more
careful with my word choices to avoid making assumptions. For example, instead of saying “a
10-minute brisk walk during your lunch break at work”, I would suggest “if you have a lunch
break, pack a lunch that you can eat on the move and go for a walk”.

[1] 5 WELLNESS PROGRAM IDEAS FOR BLUE-COLLAR WORKERS. Retrieved from

https://www.wellsteps.com/blog/2020/06/04/5-wellness-program-ideas-for-blue-collar-workers/
October 23, 2020.

2. Eating Thai Fruit Demands Serious Effort but Delivers Sublime Reward
• What is non-inclusive and/or problematic about the following food/nutrition
messaging example?
Some descriptive words were problematic such as describing the smell of durian as “a deep, dank
rot” and resembling the shape of rambutan with a coronavirus. The information delivered in this
article defamed the fruits loved by many. The way that the author described the scene of eating
lychees is discouraging for people to even try the fruit. I’ve eaten 80% of the fruits described in
this article and some of them are my favorite fruits. The author’s descriptions seem to be
exaggerated and full of subjective thoughts. None of the messages is pleasant to read and I felt
offended.
• What can be done to make this more inclusive?
I am not sure about the purpose of this article. If the objective of this article is to introduce fruits
from Thailand, the author should have used a neutral tone to describe the fruits instead of using
offensive descriptions. Since this article is talking about food, it should avoid using words like
“ooze”, “super glue”, “overripe juicy fruit gum”. "rot” and similar unappetizing words to avoid
pressing a negative impression on these fruits to its readers. The author should educate
him/herself more on the fruits in Thailand to avoid being biased when trying to present this topic.
• How can you apply principles for making this messaging more inclusive to your
dietetics practice?
I was shocked by how the author of the article uses a terrible sense of humor and paragraphs of
offensive wordings to disdain fruits in Thailand. I am confident to say that I will not make a
mistake like this because I consider myself to be well-educated on food cultural diversity. In my
dietetics practice, I will not express any negative opinion on any food because I know not to
“yuck people’s yum”. To avoid offending my clients who like the food that I dislike, I will never
express a negative feeling about any food in professional settings. I found an article titled “health
benefits of 10 exotic fruits in Thailand” uses a neutral tone in describing the fruits from
Thailand. This article is well-written and I believe that this could be more representative of the
topic than the article from the New York Times. [2]

[2] Health Benefits of 10 Exotic Fruits in Thailand. Retrieved from

https://thailandretirementplans.com/2019/05/08/health-benefits-of-10-exotic-fruits-in-thailand/
October 23, 2020

3. Get the facts to feel and look better – 10 tips for men’s health
• What is non-inclusive and/or problematic about the following food/nutrition
messaging example?
The tips are written assuming men are set for specific types of food, eat a larger amount of food
than women do, and cook less. Also, the tips are not applicable to vegetarian or vegan.
• What can be done to make this more inclusive?
When giving tips, avoid making biased assumptions or suggestive phrases such as men only have
survival cooking skills, men need to eat different foods than women, and men are not wise in
food choices. These gender-based stereotypes do not necessarily hold true for reality. Instead,
share information in a neutral tone without the gender-based stereotypes would sound more
convincing to the readers. Also, consider adding plant-based protein suggestions to make the tips
vegetarian/vegan-friendly.
• How can you apply principles for making this messaging more inclusive to your
dietetics practice?
Interestingly, a study found that gender-based food stereotypes exist among adolescents and the
researchers suggested that health promotors could use this stereotype around gender to promote
healthy eating. [3] I hold a different opinion because reinforcing these gender-based stereotypes
will limit the food choices for both genders. In order to be more inclusive of my dietetic practice,
I will avoid holding gender-based stereotypes when introducing foods and healthy tips to my
clients. Inspired by an article by Dr. Marcia Mogelonsky, the director of insight, Food & Drink,
at Mintel, instead of focusing on the gender differences, I would emphasize the universal appeals
of a healthy tip to my clients. [4]

[3] Monge-Rojas, R., Fuster-Baraona, T., Garita, C., Sánchez, M., Smith-Castro, V., Valverde-
Cerros, O., & Colon-Ramos, U. (2015). The Influence of Gender Stereotypes on Eating Habits
among Costa Rican Adolescents. American Journal of Health Promotion, 29(5), 303–310.
https://doi.org/10.4278/ajhp.130904-QUAL-462
[4] It’s Time to Look Beyond “Gendered” Food and Drink. Retrieved from
https://www.mintel.com/blog/consumer-market-news/its-time-to-look-beyond-gendered-food-
and-drink. October 23, 2020.

4. Meet the man who launched the Nashville Hot Chicken Craze
• What is non-inclusive and/or problematic about the following food/nutrition
messaging example?
The actual origin of hot chicken was not provided in detail. However, the title of this article is
suggesting that the hot chicken recipe was created by a Caucasian chef John Lasater with the
verb “launched”. There is also information from other resources suggesting that Hot Chicken
could be originated from Nashville’s African-American community. [5]
• What can be done to make this more inclusive?
More evidence of the origin of Hot Chicken should be provided to prove the article’s messaging.
To avoid misleading information, the author should include information about the Prince's
family, who is widely accepted as the inventor of Hot Chicken. [6]
• How can you apply principles for making this messaging more inclusive to your
dietetics practice?
From this article, I learned that in my future dietetics practice, I need to track the origins of
recipes and give the credential to the right reference. As simple as citing a recipe, without paying
attention, we may unconsciously help to promote false information and infringe other’s rights.

[5] How Hot Chicken Really Happened. Retrieved from https://bittersoutherner.com/how-hot-

chicken-really-happened. October 23, 2020.
[6] The history of Nashville hot chicken: How a spurned lover burned millions of mouths.
Retrieved from https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2018/12/20/hot-chicken-nashville-
history-princes/2205083002/. October 23, 2020.

5. Ginger + Turmeric Latte

• What is non-inclusive and/or problematic about the following food/nutrition
messaging example?
This post didn’t give credit to the origin of this recipe or origin of the use of turmeric spice.
• What can be done to make this more inclusive?
The author should provide more background information for the recipe if he/she didn’t come up
with the recipe themselves. For example, the author should give credit to the origin of the use of
turmeric in cooking, because it is not appreciable to have someone take away your culture to
promote it as a new and trendy dietary practice. [7]
• How can you apply principles for making this messaging more inclusive to your
dietetics practice?
From this article, I again learned that I should always search for the origins of foods in my
dietetics practice. As a dietetic professional, I should familiarize myself with food cultural
diversity and avoid taking other people/cultures’ credits.
[7] Second Take: My Indian culture should not be used as a marketing tool. Retrieved from
https://dailybruin.com/2016/06/01/second-take-my-indian-culture-should-not-be-used-as-a-
marketing-tool. October 23, 2020.

6. Collards are the new kale

• What is non-inclusive and/or problematic about the following food/nutrition
messaging example?
This messaging makes it sounds like collard greens and kale are the only two healthy greens out
there. Also, it seems to be implying the stereotype that collard greens are eaten as a “standard
fare” in the southern US such as Louisiana, a melting pot of cultures with African-American,
French, American, and French-Canadian cultures. In other online resources, collard greens are
referred to as “slave food” to be cooked only during Black History Month. [8] Another
stereotype on collard greens is that they are the food for the poor southerners. [9]
• What can be done to make this more inclusive?
To avoid being interpreted as stereotyping, the author should avoid emphasizing the region
where collard greens are often served.
• How can you apply principles for making this messaging more inclusive to your
dietetics practice?
From this article, I am surprised to learn that associating a certain food with a certain region
could be sensitive to some cultures. In my dietetics practice, I should avoid similar mistakes. I
can promote the health benefits of foods without pointing the geographic stereotypes. I also need
to discover more about stereotyped foods from different cultures.

[8] FIGHTING STEREOTYPES, ONE DINNER AT A TIME. Retrieved from

https://www.jamesbeard.org/blog/fighting-stereotypes-one-dinner-at-a-time. October 25, 2020
[9] Collards vs. Kale: Why Only One Supergreen Is a Superstar. Retrieved from
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/food/the-plate/2016/october/collards-vs-kale-and-
other-superstar-supergreens/#close. October 25, 2020

7. Make your takeout healthier

• What is non-inclusive and/or problematic about the following food/nutrition
messaging example?
This messaging uses the characteristics of Asian cultural takeout foods in the graphics such as
the takeout box that is often used for Chinese takeout foods, chopsticks, and soy sauce. It is non-
inclusive and discriminatory because it implies that Asian takeout meals are always unhealthy.
This messaging stigmatized Asian culture foods and wrongly perceive the food cultures.
• What can be done to make this more inclusive?
The messaging should remove identifying tags for any specific food culture to avoid stigmatize
any cultural foods. Whether or not a takeout food is healthy has nothing to do with where the
food is from. When giving healthy takeout food tips, instead of emphasizing Asian-inspired
meals, uses generalize ideas in the messaging such as choosing a source of protein that is lower
in saturated food, foods with less sodium content, added sugar, etc.
• How can you apply principles for making this messaging more inclusive to your
dietetics practice?
Coming from an Asian cultural background, surprisingly, this messaging wasn’t too offensive to
me because I never consider the Asian takeout meals here in the states are even from my culture.
On a day to day basis, I eat very different food than those usually served in a Chinese restaurant
here. The same situation applies to my friends from other Asian countries, that they don’t think
the foods namely marketing as Korean/Vietnamese/Thai/Japanese foods here veritably represent
their food cultures. One survey showed that we don’t actually understand other food cultures.
[10] I believe the best way to understand a food culture is to get to know people from that
cultural background, hearing their stories and thoughts and trying the foods that they approve as
the representatives of their food culture. In my dietetics practice, I will respect all food cultures
and not tag any cultural food as unhealthy. I will give generalize healthy food tips – the same
rules apply for all foods.

[10] What Americans Know About Foreign Food. Retrieved from

https://www.homeruninnpizza.com/blog/fun-facts/stereotypes-foreign-food// October 23, 2020.

8. Why Mediterranean Diet is Still the Best Diet of Them All

• What is non-inclusive and/or problematic about the following food/nutrition
messaging example?
The title claiming that the Mediterranean diet is the best diet of all sounds biased and offensive
to people who practice and strongly favor other diets. Mediterranean diet is originated from
regions where people are known to appreciate the quality of their food and they take time to cook
and eat. In Mediterranean regions, eating is more like a lifestyle. [11] However, no single diet
should be considered the best. Also, following the Mediterranean diet is not affordable for
everyone. [12] Thus, this messaging is non-inclusive for people practicing other eating styles and
having low-income. From a Mediterranean culture perspective, this messaging regards the
Mediterranean diet simply as a tool to achieve health but didn’t mention cultural appreciation.
• What can be done to make this more inclusive?
The title should use a neutral tone to promote the Mediterranean diet and to not make it sound
superior to other diets. The messaging should also include some affordable substitutes for
common foods in the Mediterranean diet. It should also include information about the
background of the Mediterranean diet to celebrate its culture instead of just taking it as a way to
get healthy.
• How can you apply principles for making this messaging more inclusive to your
dietetics practice?
In my dietetics practice, I should avoid promoting any diet or eating culture as superior to others.
In making healthy eating suggestions, I should keep in mind that not everyone can afford healthy
whole foods, and thus, I should provide affordable alternatives for my clients. At the same time,
when I promote a diet, I should give credit to its origin and appreciate the culture behind it.
[11] Debunking the Mediterranean Diet. Retrieved from
https://www.wellnessworkdays.com/post/2019/12/24/debunking-the-mediterranean-diet. October
25, 2020
[12] Skeptics of the Med Diet. Retrieved from
https://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/0520p18.shtml. October 25, 2020

9. Frozen Broccoli Five Ways

• What is non-inclusive and/or problematic about the following food/nutrition
messaging example?
All recipes for the frozen broccoli ask for ingredients that could be expensive for those who are
eating on a budget such as herbs, fresh cauliflower, non-fat dairy products. These recipes are
made for a similar taste that all include milk and cheese. People from a culture that do not
include dairy in their diet will not find these recipes useful. Also, these recipes are not friendly
for the lactose-intolerance population.
• What can be done to make this more inclusive?
The recipe should make some of the ingredients optional to keep the budget low. Herbs such as
thyme and bay leaves can be made optional. When calling for cauliflower, maybe also specify
that frozen cauliflower can be a choice. The author should also allow choices of which dairy
products to use since non-fat dairy products sometimes are more expensive than the whole fat
ones.
• How can you apply principles for making this messaging more inclusive to your
dietetics practice?
In my dietetics practice, I should make recipes with budget considerations for the low-income
population. Keeping the ingredients simple and making some herbs and spices optional could
also make a recipe more efficient and affordable. I will include a wider taste variety when
designing recipes surrounding one food to meet more people’s taste preferences.

10. WIC Food Packages

• What is non-inclusive and/or problematic about the following food/nutrition
messaging example?
WIC program participants are largely composed of the Hispanic population and the non-Hispanic
black population and some other cultural groups. However, the foods included in the package
failed to address the food and taste diversity among WIC participants. [13]
• What can be done to make this more inclusive?
The WIC food package should include a wider variety of food that is not only meeting the
dietary habit and taste preference for the non-Hispanic white population, but also other cultural
groups participants. [14]
• How can you apply principles for making this messaging more inclusive to your
dietetics practice?
In my dietetics practice, I should actively participate in expanding food diversity in nutrition
programs to better serve our culturally diverse population. I should learn about the dietary needs
of those who from cultures different than mine, study foods that they would commonly eat, and
make nutrition knowledge appropriate to their cultures.
[13] WIC Participant and Program Characteristics 2018 – Charts. Retrieved from
https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/participant-and-program-characteristics-2018-charts. October 25,
2020
[14] SEPARATING FOOD FROM CULTURE:
THE USDA‟S FAILURE TO HELP ITS CULTURALLY DIVERSE WIC POPULATION.
Retrieved from https://aglawjournal.wp.drake.edu/wp-
content/uploads/sites/66/2016/09/agVol06No1-BKing.pdf. October 25, 2020