A study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that consumers tend to read just the top five lines of a product's nutrition information. Researchers also determined that participants were more likely to read this information if it was placed above the product description and its price, rather than below or to either side.

Scientists came to these conclusions after presenting more than 200 volunteers with sample product labels. Each participant was fitted with an eye-tracking device. In all, more than one-quarter of all volunteers reported reading the entire nutrition label.

How many actually read the whole thing? According to the research team, it was just 1 percent of participants.

"Because knowing the amounts of key nutrients that foods contain can influence consumers to make healthier purchases, prominently positioning key nutrients and labels themselves, could substantially impact public health," the authors concluded.

Research appearing in the Journal of the American Medical Association advised that, rather than (or in addition to) reducing one's saturated fat intake, individuals with a high blood-lipid profile may consider eating more cholesterol-busting foods, like nuts, soy and plant sterols.

Scientists from the University of Toronto stated that such ingredients are known to prevent increases in blood levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), a form of cholesterol known to stick in arteries and contribute to heart disease.

The team emphasized that avoiding saturated fats is important, but that doing so does not guarantee the kind of dips in cholesterol associated with LDL-lowering foods.

"This study indicated the potential value of using recognized cholesterol-lowering foods in combination. We believe this approach has clinical application. A meaningful 13 percent LDL-C reduction can be obtained after only [two] clinic visits of approximately 60-and 40-minute sessions," the authors concluded.

Of course, one's eating habits can be affected by any number of subtle factors. For instance, a literature review published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine associated hours spent watching television with consumption of fatty or salty foods.

Based on analysis of 53 prior investigations into the effects of TV viewing on diet, researchers at the UK's Loughborough University found a direct correlation between time spent in front of the tube and the consumption of snack foods in place of fresh produce.

Co-author Stuart Biddle explained that TV exerts a negative influence on diet in more than one way.

"Not only are television viewers exposed to numerous advertisements that can influence the type of food they desire and consume, but television can also act as a distraction, resulting in a lack of awareness of actual food consumption," he explained.

Published in the Cochrane Systematic Review, the report describes using a special powdered mixture to feed children between 6 months and 2 years old. The formula contains zinc, iron and vitamin A, among other vital nutrients.

How did the authors come up with the mixture? They analyzed the findings of eight previous reports, which had been conducted among undernourished children in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean.

Adding such a nutrient powder to a child's meals reduces his or her risk of anemia by one third, the review stated, adding that such supplementation also lowers the risk of iron deficiency by one half.

Among U.S. adults, vitamin supplements play an important role in delivering essential vitamins and minerals to those who need them.

A report appearing in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives announced that quite a few teens and young adults have blood levels of the nutrient lower than 75 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL), indicating insufficiency.

A portion of these youths have levels so low – fewer than 50 ng/mL – that they actually qualify for a full-blown deficiency, researchers said.

They noted that a significant portion of the problem stems from too little sun exposure. The team found that the amount of vitamin D3 (which the skin synthesizes under direct sunlight) in 2,000 young participants' systems was quite low, often due to little time spent outside.

While avoiding UV rays can lower the risk of skin carcinomas and sun damage, it may leave the body craving a valuable nutrient, researchers concluded.

Taking a daily multivitamin is one way to get vitamin D without getting a sunburn.

How is this possible? A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition recently revealed the secret. You simply puree vegetables and sneak them into the foods you serve at dinner.

Researchers from Pennsylvania State University adopted this strategy and used it to good effect, according to the report. The team tried serving vegetable-supplemented dishes to 39 children between the ages of 3 and 6.

These entrees included zucchini bread, pasta with a tomato sauce and chicken noodle casserole, covering all three meals in a day. Scientists pureed carrots, zucchini, broccoli, squash and tomatoes, and added them to these dishes.

"We were pleased to find that the children found the vegetable-enhanced versions to be equally acceptable to the standard recipes," lead author Maureen Spill reported. She added that, by eating such meals, the participating kids consumed twice the base amount of vegetables and ate 11 percent fewer calories in a day.

However, moderation is not what many children and adults are getting when it comes to salt intake, according to a study appearing in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Researchers from the University of Bristol found that of every five 8-month-olds in the UK, four are getting too much sodium in their diet.

The team blamed much of this overconsumption on processed foods like canned beans, spaghetti, gravy and yeasty foods. Researchers said that too much salt can damage infants' kidneys, putting them at risk for health complications later in life.

Adults also tend to have high sodium intakes. In the U.S., many adults consume far beyond the 2,300 milligrams of sodium recommend by the Institute of Medicine as the safe uper limit of daily salt intake.

The average American over the age of 1 consumes 3,436 milligrams of sodium per day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A study appearing in the journal PLoS ONE found that insects that pollinate crops are responsible for the growth and proliferation of numerous foodstuffs around the globe. By extension, this means that bees and other pollinators are a precious resource, one that ensures the healthy growth of nutrient-providing plants of all types.

"Animal-pollinated crops contain the majority of the available dietary lipid[s], vitamin[s] A, C and E, and a large portion of the minerals calcium, fluoride and iron worldwide," said researchers in Germany and Southern California.

The team warned that without these essential organisms, up to 40 percent of the vitamins and minerals provided by crops could be lost.

When fruits and vegetables do not provide one’s full daily amount of nutrients, vitamin supplements may be able to help.

Scientists at the Child and Family Research Institute at British Columbia's Children's Hospital determined that many expecting mothers had too little vitamin D in their systems, even though many took dietary supplements.

Based on a survey of more than 330 pregnant women, the team determined that nearly 80 percent had insufficient blood levels of the nutrient, compared to clinical recommendations for mothers-to-be.

Lead author Timothy Green said that pregnant women may consider taking more vitamin D each day, rather than expending effort on adding fortified foods to their diet.

"There are few good natural sources of vitamin D and fortified foods do not contain enough vitamin D on their own. That's why research into supplements, how much pregnant women should be taking and how effective they are, is so important," he concluded.

Do they ever, said a team of researchers from Oregon State University. In a study published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, the group found that college-age males eat just five servings of produce per week, on average.

Females were even worse, consuming just four servings in the same time span. To put these findings in perspective, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that adults eat five servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

Co-author Brad Cardinal laid partial blame on the poor health education being given to American children and young adults.

"We are not teaching youth how to be self-sustaining. Home economics and nutrition classes have all but disappeared from our schools in the K-12 system. There is a fundamental lack of understanding on how to eat well in a very broad sense," he concluded.