As times change, so, too, do experts’ recommendations on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which will come out later this year. The latest advisories from a panel of our nation’s leading nutrition experts showcase the benefits of a plant-based diet: for our personal health and for the health of our environment.
It may not be a surprise that as a country we’re consuming too much saturated fat, sugar and salt, while falling short on essential vitamins and nutrients: vitamins A, C, D, E, folate, potassium, magnesium, calcium and fiber. Food choices impact more than just our waistline. One in two people who maintain a healthful weight have at least one metabolic risk factor, proving that as a country we’re all underserved when it comes to nutrition.
The experts recommend moving away from a “one-size-fits-all” prescription and toward scientifically-proven templates to revamp our health: plant-based eating patterns.
The report encourages Americans to analyze their own dietary patterns and to consume more fiber from fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and to cut back on red and processed meats and excess amounts of sugar and salt. In addition to moving toward sustainable plant-based fare, the guidelines call for health care providers to help integrate this into our culture, making it part of our everyday social norms.
As a health educator, I’m thrilled to hear about the recommendations. I’m even happier to hear about the experts’ suggestions for how to put the latest science into contemporary practice. We need policies that will influence supply and demand, particularly for those who benefit from the guidelines the most: our next generation. The guidelines will impact the more than 31 million students participating in the National School Lunch Program. As any parent or school lunch leader can attest — to increase demand for any type of food, we need to make it fun, memorable, enjoyable and of course appetizing.
Imagine a new nutrition landscape, flush with students reaching for seconds of broccoli bites, carrot sticks and black bean and quinoa salads. Rather than learning about individual nutrients, students will instead connect the dots that food is a diverse package with lots of different pieces that influence our health in different ways. Students will learn that in addition to studying hard, eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes can help them make the honor roll. And similar to tobacco being synonymous with lung cancer, nutrient-poor foods — such as cheeseburgers, candy bars and corn dogs — will come with their own warning labels.
In many metropolitan areas, this nutrition shift is already a visible force: In New York City, at least two public schools provide cafeterias fully stocked with vegetarian options, serving as evidence that young students do like their vegetables when given the opportunity to try them, and in a variety of different ways. The positive food and learning environment translates not only to healthy bodies, but to boosts in energy, test scores and attendance. These lessons are not confined to the classroom, but also reach parents and the extended community — audiences in need of this healthful food messaging.
In Washington, we’re seeing a similar transformation take place. Elementary and middle schools, Fortune 500 companies and college campuses offer leafy greens, beans and foods packed with protective phytonutrients. We’ve evolved past Meatless Mondays, demonstrated by the demand of portable health fare widely available in check-out lines at drug stores, in to-go containers at major grocery chains and with a bevy of new restaurants, accommodating all different price ranges.
Part of the success boils down to the education and gamification of healthful eating patterns. Businesses have caught on, apps are in the works and medical centers are starting to prescribe plant-based foods. What works in each city, and throughout the nation, varies from person to person, from classroom to classroom and from office to office.
The common theme remains the same: We need to promote plant-based eating patterns that fit individuals’ needs and deliver educational programs that trump dietary fads, delivering real and lasting results.
The 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans aren’t final; in fact, they’re just getting started. A public comment section is open for 45 days. I hope you’ll weigh in.
Cameron Wells, M.P.H., R.D., is the acting director of nutrition education for the Physicians Committee.
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