New US "Dietary Guidelines" Call for Less Sugar & Meat Consumption

08 Jan 2016 --- Americans should be eating more fruits and vegetables and less added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium, according to the federal government’s new Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The once-every-five-years publication, written jointly by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services with the advice of an expert panel of scientists, provides the government’s basic nutrition advice and forms the basis for much federal, state, and local food policy. 

Notably, the 2015 Guidelines recommends consuming less than 10 percent of calories each from added sugars and saturated fat. The evidence is strong, the Guidelines states, that diets with less meat are associated with reduced risk of heart disease and stroke. Moderate evidence indicates that those eating patterns are associated with a reduced risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer, according to the publication. Teen boys and adult men also “need to reduce overall intake of protein foods by decreasing intakes of meats, poultry, and eggs and increasing amounts of vegetables or other underconsumed food groups,” according to the Guidelines.

Steven J. Stack, M.D. President, American Medical Association believes that the new recommendations will help more Americans gain access to the resources they need to adopt a healthy diet and lead healthier lives.

"Specifically, the AMA applauds the Committee for recommending that our nation's children and adults should focus on achieving a healthy overall diet rather than focus on consuming only specific nutrients. Additionally, we are encouraged that the Committee acknowledged and made policy recommendations for addressing the environmental and societal issues that keep individuals from implementing these Dietary Guidelines into their own diets.”

"With obesity and its associated health consequences—namely type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease—on the rise throughout our country, the AMA also is extremely pleased that the new recommendations call for significantly reducing the amount of added sugars and sugar sweetened beverages from the American diet. The AMA has been working hard over the last two years to prevent the incidence of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, both of which are linked to excessive sugar consumption, and we will continue to support efforts aimed at improving the health of the nation.”

"We encourage the Committee to continue to push for the policies and environmental and system changes needed to help make healthy foods and beverages more accessible and affordable to all Americans."

The latest edition of the Dietary Guidelines focuses on three main takeaways to help Americans make decisions about healthy eating.

Eat for Health and for the Long Run
The path to improving health through nutrition is to follow a healthy eating pattern that is right for you. The science behind healthy eating patterns tells us that they can help prevent chronic diseases like obesity, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.

A healthy eating pattern can be maintained over a person’s lifetime and, at appropriate calorie levels, promotes health and supports a healthy body weight. You can include many of the foods that you enjoy in a healthy eating pattern.

“What exactly is a healthy eating pattern?” A healthy eating pattern: consists of all foods and drinks that a person consumes over time; is adaptable to a person’s taste preferences, culture, traditions, and budget; includes a variety of nutritious foods like vegetables, fruits, grains, low-fat and fat-free dairy, lean meats and other protein foods, and oils; and limits saturated fats, trans fats, added sugars, and sodium. There is more than one type of healthy eating pattern — the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines includes various examples of healthy eating patterns.

Start with Small Changes
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the idea of changing what we eat. By focusing on small improvements, eating healthy becomes more manageable. With so many choices to make every single day about what to eat and drink, each choice is an opportunity to make a small, healthy change — like replacing refined- flour bread with whole-grain bread.

Here’s more food for thought — almost 9 in 10 Americans get less than the recommended amount of vegetables. Instead of a whole new way of eating, find new ways to incorporate more veggies to dishes you’re already making. Further, American adults consume about 50 percent more sodium than the Dietary Guidelines recommends. Use the Nutrition Facts label to check for sodium, especially in processed foods like pizza, pasta dishes, sauces and soups.

Support Healthy Choices for Everyone
Many Americans may need to make changes to their food choices and get more physical activity to stay healthy, but they shouldn’t have to do it alone. Everyone has a role to play in encouraging easy, accessible, and affordable ways to support healthy choices at home, school, work, and in the community. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans includes examples of strategies that support healthy choices.

The most significant change in the content of the DGAs has been a shift in focus from individual foods and single nutrients to a recognition that overall eating patterns matter most. In addition, the recommendations have increasingly acknowledged the importance of personal, traditional and cultural needs and preferences as well as budgetary limits.

Bill Layden, FoodMinds LLC partner and co-founder told FoodIngredientsFirst: “In concert with the evolution of dietary guidance, food companies worldwide have been on a decade-plus journey to reduce the fat, sugar and salt in their recipes. More and more, those same companies are introducing foods and meal solutions that have more vegetables, dairy, whole grains and seafood. For example, in 2015 the Nestlé STOUFFER’S brand launched STOUFFER’S Fit Kitchen, wholesome and contemporary frozen meals that offer 25 or more grams of protein, paired with complex carbohydrates and crisp vegetables. The new recipes were created with nutrition in mind – from using healthier cooking methods, like grilling and oven-roasting, to using herbs instead of oil to add flavor.”

In terms of advice for industry, Layden said there are opportunities to create new products that are tailored toward healthy lifestyles. “The DGAs contain a series of charts depicting the average daily intake of each food group compared to the recommended intake range. With a few exceptions, Americans across age groups have intakes of vegetables, fruits, and dairy that are below the recommendations, and intakes of total grains and protein foods that are close to the recommendations. This presents a clear opportunity for the industry to get creative in incorporating vegetables, fruits, and dairy into individual food products as well as meal solutions.” 

Layden notes: “Another major change is the positioning of oils. Just a decade ago, even olive oil was at the tip of the pyramid as a source of “discretionary calories” that should be minimized. Today, the DGAs encourage people to use oils that are high in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats rather than solid fats in food preparation where possible. This presents a clear marketing opportunity for salad dressings, spreads and other so-called processed foods that are made with oil instead of solid fats.”

“Finally, the introduction of the Healthy Mediterranean-Style Eating Pattern offers a marketing opportunity for whole foods like nuts and avocados, as well as other foods and beverages that align with the Mediterranean diet profile and lifestyle. In fact, some foods may be able to use what is often referred to as a DGA health claim on their packaging,” he concludes.

In response to the 2015 U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the American Beverage Association issued the following statement: “We appreciate the extensive work in developing the 2015 U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans. We fully support the goal to help Americans achieve and maintain a healthy weight. America’s beverage companies are doing their part to help people manage their calorie and sugar intake by providing a wide range of beverage choices, a variety of package sizes and clear, easy-to-read calorie information – on package and at point of purchase – to help them make the choice that's right for them. With our Balance Calories Initiative, we are working toward a common goal of reducing beverage calories in the American diet. This is a meaningful initiative that will have significant real world impact in helping people reduce their consumption of calories and sugar from beverages.”

by Robin Wyers