As I have often stated regarding most things- Moderation is the key.
With that in mind, let’s explore the newest nutritional guidelines just released (January 2015) by the US Department of Agriculture and the US Department of Health and Human Services. Those two entities release updated guidelines about every five years and are intended to mirror the latest evidence-based science about nutrition.
Before we dive into these recommendations, remember these are just GUIDELINES and not the final word. In fact, many organizations suggest the recommendations aren’t complete enough. But, they are certainly a place to start and a way to begin focusing on improving your lifestyle.
So here are the official guidelines.
Follow a healthy eating pattern across your lifespan
Focus on variety, nutrient density, and amount
Limit calories from added sugars and saturated fats and reduce sodium intake
Shift to healthier food and beverage choices
Support healthy eating patterns for all
What is meant by a healthy eating pattern? The guidelines suggest the following should be included in a healthy eating pattern.
A variety of vegetables from all the subgroups: dark green, red, and orange colored; legumes (beans and peas); and starchy vegetables (like potatoes).
Fruits, ESPECIALLY (my emphasis) whole fruits
Grains, FOCUS (my emphasis) on whole grains
Fat-free or low-fat dairy such as milk, yogurt, and cheese.
A variety of protein foods, including seafood, LEAN (my emphasis) meats and poultry, eggs, legumes (beans and peas), and nuts, seeds and soy products
Oil.
Nutrient dense foods are foods that contain essential vitamins and minerals as well as dietary fiber and other naturally occurring substances that are thought to have positive health effects. Nutrient dense foods are generally WHOLE fruits, vegetables, and grains that have undergone a minimum of processing.
A healthy eating pattern should limit saturated fats and trans-fats, added sugars and sodium. Consume less than 10 percent of daily calories from added sugars. Consume less than 10 percent of daily calories from saturated fat and limit daily sodium to less than 2300 milligrams.
Lastly, alcohol, if consumed, should be in MODERATION (my emphasis)- up to one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men, of course, only by adults of legal drinking age.
Healthy eating patterns don’t mean just specific isolated foods but overall food choices and dietary patterns. For example, a Mediterranean diet (higher in vegetables and whole grains, lower in meat) seems to be associated with a decreased risk of diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers (such as colon cancer), and obesity
Let’s go a bit further here about healthy eating patterns. This also means consuming the appropriate amount of healthy calories to maintain your optimal weight.
Your optimal calorie need will depend on a variety of factors:
your age (child, adolescent, young adult, older adult),
your activity level (sedentary, some activity or Olympic level athlete) and
your gender (calorie consumption is different for males and females and whether or not females are pregnant).
Speak with your own doctor about the best weight for you and the best diet to achieve it. On average, about 2000 calories per day is about right for most adults. To lose weight, a male needs to eat between 1500-1800 calories and a female between 1000-1200 calories.
So, what’s the make up of a healthy eating pattern by the guidelines? Note, the information below is intended for adults. Children’s guidelines are different depending on their ages. Check with your pediatrician for more details.
The recommendations for daily intake include the equivalent of 2 and 1/2 cups of vegetables. Remember different vegetables weigh differently so look at readily available charts for the amounts. Don’t forget to vary the vegetables to get the whole range of colors and types. And most importantly, “Eat less CRAPF (the P is silent)” by eliminating Commercially Refined And Processed Foods keeping foods in their least processed forms, of course.
The daily intake of fruits is the equivalent of two cups per day. Again whole (less processed) is best but if you must use the juice form, one cup of whole fruit juice is about one cup of fruit.If you use the canned version, pick the type without added sugars.
The daily intake of grains should total about 6 ounces and the recommendations here want at least half to be whole grains. Don’t be surprised when I mention that oatmeal and popcorn fall in this group so you can have your popcorn at the movie and still be following the guidelines. Just remember to limit that oily topping and don’t add salt to your popcorn.
Dairy guidelines total 3-cup equivalents per day. And by the way, fortified soy beverages are now included in the dairy group. Remember to pick fat-free or low fat milk and cheese.
Daily consumption of protein should total 5 and 1/2 ounce equivalents. In addition to meat, seafood and poultry, protein is also food in legumes, eggs, nuts, seeds and soy products. This is more variety than many people consider, but this can really broaden your diet. Also by using protein sources that aren’t meat based, you may be reducing your risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes.
Healthy oils in the daily diet include monounsaturated or polyunsaturated ones (basically, oils that are liquids at room temperature). You don’t need much in your diet, only about 5 teaspoons.
You may have noticed I haven’t mentioned dietary cholesterol as a component of healthy eating patterns. That’s because unlike the last published guidelines in 2010, this time around the thinking is while cholesterol intake is still important, it doesn’t need to be singled out and measured separately. If the above recommendations are followed, the cholesterol level will be within an acceptable range. This means for most of us that eggs are no longer on the “bad food” list as they were in the past, solely because of their high cholesterol. Now eggs just count as a protein equivalent.
So, what’s the big change? Well, basically, this time around the US Department of Agriculture and US Department of Health and Human Services say ramp up the whole fruits, veggies and grains and eat less protein for a healthier life.
And as I say, “Moderation in all things.”
Except smoking! We will discuss smoking cessation in a later blog, so tune in then. Even if you don’t smoke, you might help someone who does.
For more information on the new guidelines, go to www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015.