DENVER – For the first time in five years, the federal government has changed the nation’s dietary guidelines.
The 2015 guidelines recommended a “healthy eating pattern” with limited sugar and saturated fat, less salt and more vegetables and whole grains.
For the first time, the government put a limit on sugar.
“It was recommended that we keep our added sugars to about ten percent of our total calories,” Suzanne Farrell, a dietitian with Cherry Creek Nutrition said.
If you like eggs the government’s recommendations represent a reversal in thinking – no longer limiting cholesterol. “It’s okay to have eggs,” Farrell added.
But the biggest winners might be the meat industry with the government saying you don’t have to eat less meat.
At the National Western Stock Show Thursday, ranchers embraced the new guidelines. “It’s a good thing we need to support the meat and the cattle industry,” Robert Dimmett, an Indiana rancher said.
But the news on meat is not being met with universal praise. The American Cancer Society Action Network released a statement about it. “The final guidelines released today disregard an important evidence-based recommendation … that Americans eat less red and processed meat.”
If you remain confused at what to eat, Farrell offers a simple solution. “Portion control!”
You can read the full recommendation by the government here.