Hold the 16-oz drink, limit salt _ gov’t offers guidelines

Since 1980, HHS and USDA have shared a responsibility to the American public to ensure that advancements in scientific understanding about the role of nutrition in health are incorporated into the Dietary Guidelines, which are updated every five years.

But many health campaigners and environmental groups say the guidelines – devised by the US Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services – fall short of expectations by not including limits on red meat or recommending that consumers make food choices according to the sustainability of the ingredients.

The new guidelines recommend that Americans limit their intake of saturated fats, often found in butter, whole milk and some meats and oils, to less than 10 percent of their total daily calories, which echoes suggestions from previous years. As for what’s in – the report calls for more colorful vegetables and fruits, lean protein, whole grains and low-fat dairy. But the meat industry objected, so instead there is more general encouragement to eat other protein such as seafood and nuts. The Nutrition Facts label can be used to check for saturated fats.

The American Frozen Food Association also praised the latest guidelines for recommending an increase in consumption of all forms of fruits and vegetables.

The 2010 guidelines made a key recommendation that Americans consume less than 300 mg a day of dietary cholesterol, or about two small eggs.

On Thursday, the government released the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Men and teenage boys are eating too much animal protein, including meat, chicken, and eggs, according to the nation’s new dietary guidelines that include-for the first time-a recommendation for any group to reduce meat consumption. These include a notable ditching of a specific limit on cholesterol-what some might say is a win for the egg industry (and egg lovers)-plus sterner warnings about added sugar in the diet. Just in time for those New Year’s resolution, the US government is weighing in with its advice.

“The administration has clearly put the financial interests of the meat industry over the weight of the science and the health of the American people”, she said.

That said, the US panel behind the guidelines had access to the same science as the World Health Organization but appears to have come to different conclusions about the risks of processed and red meat given the absence of any strong wording against those foods.

The Dietary Guidelines provide us with food-based guidance to help us choose foods that are both healthy and delicious.

When it comes to sodium, most should limit their salt intake to below 2,300 milligrams a day, and those with high blood pressure should go even lower – to 1,500 milligrams. Some data suggests that some Americans have tried to follow the government’s dietary recommendations, though it’s unclear if the same people following the guidelines are also suffering from obesity, diabetes, and other metabolic disorders.