These guidelines act as a helpful reminder in achieving a balanced diet and a healthier lifestyle that will be far from disease. While some recommendations were expected, at least one part is drawing fire.
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And the guidelines reverse previous advice on the dangers of dietary cholesterol.
Diet watchers will recognize many oldie-but-goodies: Eat your beans and greens; limit saturated fats, added sugars and salt.
Health experts suggest substituting sugary drinks with a mixture of seltzer water and cranberry juice.
The World Health Organization and the Heart and Stroke Foundation both recommend Canadians decrease our consumption of added sugar to no more than 10 per cent of our total daily calories (five per cent would be even better, according to the foundation and WHO). That’s about 12 teaspoons.
The new dietary guidelines promote a healthy eating pattern and encourage a diet high in vegetables, whole fruits and grains.
But the removal of a daily limit does not mean to go nuts with a cholesterol-heavy foods. The guidelines just say to eat as little dietary cholesterol as possible because those foods are usually higher in saturated fat. But this isn’t a green light to chow down on butter and bacon.
Recommendations on cholesterol have also shifted. It had been no more than 300 milligrams a day, which are about two eggs.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released the new guidelines, which are revised every five years with the goal of adjusting to new scientific research and health concerns for Americans.
“It’s an excellent source of protein, there’s about 70 calories in one egg and 7 grams of protein”, Lisa Cimperman, a registered dietitian at University Hospital’s Case Medical Center, said. “Get more protein from plants, less protein from meat”. “The latest edition of the Dietary Guidelines provides individuals with the flexibility to make healthy food choices that are right for them and their families and take advantage of the diversity of products available, thanks to America’s farmers and ranchers”. Of course these guidelines are not one size fits all. While many have been waiting for these new recommendations, what they DHHS now advises has been met with a bit of concern.
Changes could also be on the way for FDA labels on the back of packaged foods. But you might not need to worry quite as much about eggs.
Support healthy eating patterns for all. Dr. Daniel Rader, a researcher at Penn Medicine’s Cardiovascular Institute, said overall he thinks the guidelines are reasonable.
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The guidelines recommends loading up on protein from lean meat, poultry and at least a weekly 8-ounce ration of seafood.
