The new 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans provide much of the same advice as the 2010 Dietary Guidelines, but there are a couple significant changes that I applaud. The new guidelines highlight the importance of everything you eat and drink over a lifetime — an eating pattern — rather than specific nutrients or foods to enjoy or limit or a diet you go on for a month or two. The second significant change: A daily limit was set for added sugars. By following the “blueprint” provided in the new guidelines, Americans can expect to achieve and maintain a healthier weight and reduce their risk for chronic conditions such as heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and hypertension.
For decades, Americans have been making poor food and beverage choices and slacking on physical activity. The vast majority of Americans fail to eat enough produce and dairy servings but get far too much added sugars, saturated fat and sodium. What’s more, beverages account for nearly 20 percent of our daily calories, yet we often forget that what we drink also impacts our health. The cumulative effects of our overall diet and lifestyle have taken its toll: About half of all American adults –117 million individuals — have one or more preventable chronic diseases, many of which are related to their diet and inactivity.
The overarching recommendation of the guidelines is to eat a variety of foods, in appropriate amounts, from all food groups. The current dietary patterns of Americans fall far short of this goal. The vast majority of Americans exceed the recommended limits for added sugars, saturated fat and sodium, so the guidelines have set limits for these nutrients to:
— Less than 10 percent of calories per day from added sugars;
— Less than 10 percent of calories per day from saturated fats; and
— Less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) per day of sodium for those over age 14.
Limits on saturated fat and sodium are unchanged from previous editions of the Dietary Guidelines, but the 10 percent calorie limit on added sugars is new. Based on the most recent available national food consumption survey data, adults get, on average, about 270 calories from added sugars or 13 percent of total calories, while children and adolescents average around 15 to 17 percent of their total calories from added sugars. The new added sugar limit is based on the scientific evidence that eating patterns with limited added sugars lower risk for cardiovascular disease, and may lower risk for obesity, Type 2 diabetes and certain cancers.
The guidelines highlight a few ways in which individuals can limit added sugars — starting with the major sources. Sugar-sweetened beverages account for nearly half (47 percent) and snacks/sweets account for 31 percent of all added sugars. Focusing on healthier swaps for these food categories will help individuals limit added sugars to their recommended levels. For example, drinking no-sugar added beverages (such as water and sparkling water) in place of beverages with added sugars (like sodas, energy drinks and fruit drinks). You can also limit added sugars by swapping whole fruit in place of a fruit-filled cereal bar or a piece of apple pie.
The Dietary Guidelines provide us with food-based guidance to help us choose foods that are both healthy and delicious. Its recommendations are ultimately intended to help individuals design their own approach to healthy eating that they can stick with for life. To use the new Dietary Guidelines to create your personalized healthy eating pattern, I recommend that you first determine your daily calorie needs with this tool, then refer to the number of servings from each of the food groups that you should eat in a day or weekly from the examples outlined in the Healthy U.S.-Style Eating Pattern, The Healthy Mediterranean-Style Eating Pattern (my personal favorite!) or the Healthy Vegetarian Eating Pattern.
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What?s New in the 2015 Dietary Guidelines? A Dietitian Reveals What You Need to Know originally appeared on usnews.com
