New Diet Guidelines
The following is a summary of the new US Government dietary guidelines. In our next post we are going to discuss these guidelines and how the average person may be able to apply them!
A new term has been coined by the US Government and they want you to avoid extra calories from Solid Fats and Added Sugars (SoFAS). Also consumers who eat a lot of SoFAS also tend to eat a lot of refined grains which should also be avoided. They want consumers to move away from our over reliance in the past on sugar and sodium and saturated fat.
If it tastes great, then you probably should avoid it and of course that means pizza, which is major source of food types Americans enjoy and are advised to avoid.
We also need to cut back to 1,500 mg of sodium per day for people over age 51, African-Americans, and people with high blood pressure. Everyone else are advised to cut back to less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day. There is salt in just about everything, so start by putting the salt shaker away! Avoid processed foods were salt is very high. Read the labels and look for low sodium levels in foods. Also avoid fast food restaurants that do not have low salt menus and low calorie foods.
The New Diet Guidelines focus on two major themes:
- watching calories to achieve and maintain a healthy weight
- tipping the balance of calorie intake: More calories from nutrition-rich foods, fewer calories from solid fats, sugars, and refined grains
The new American guidelines suggest:
- Eat more seafood — at least 8 ounces a week
- Eat more fruits and vegetables
- Substitute healthy oils for solid fats (such as margarine)
- Lower your sodium intake
- Avoid fast foods
- Exercise more
- Read food labels
- Substitute whole grains for refined grains
- Eat more beans and peas
- Get plenty of fiber, potassium, and vitamin D
- Eat/drink more nonfat or low-fat dairy products
- Replace high-fat meats with lean meats
- For some Americans, drink less alcohol
- Get off your SoFAS
The new guidelines point to specific sources of SoFAS and refined grains that we should not eat.
Dietary Guidelines: Worst Foods for Solid Fats
Solid fats make up almost a fifth of the total calories in American diets. They are a major factor behind the obesity epidemic.
The 10 foods that give us the most solid fats (and the percentage of solid fats from each food):
- Grain-based desserts (10.8%)
- Pizza (9.1%)
- Regular cheese (7.6%)
- Sausage, franks, bacon, and ribs (7.1%)
- French fries (4.8%)
- Dairy desserts (4.7%)
- Tortillas, burritos, and tacos (4.6%)
- Chicken and mixed chicken dishes (4.1%)
- Pasta and pasta dishes (3.9%)
- Whole milk (3.9%, just ahead of burgers at 3.8%)
Dietary Guidelines: Worst Foods for Saturated Fat
The body makes its own saturated fat — and we don’t need any more from our diet. High intake of saturated fat is linked to high cholesterol levels, which in turn are linked to heart disease.
The 10 foods from which Americans get most of their saturated fat
- Regular cheese (8.5%)
- Pizza (5.9%)
- Grain-based desserts (5.8%)
- Dairy desserts (5.6%)
- Chicken and chicken mixed dishes (5.5%)
- Sausage, franks, bacon, and ribs (4.9%)
- Burgers (4.4%)
- Tortillas, burritos, and tacos (4.1%)
- Beef and beef mixed dishes (4.1%)
- Reduced-fat milk (3.9%)
Dietary Guidelines: Worst Foods for Added Sugars
Added sugars make up 16% of the total calories in American diets. Like solid fats, they’re a major factor in obesity. Far atop the list are sugary beverages.
The 10 foods from which Americans get most of their added sugars:
- Soda, energy drinks, and sports drinks (35.7%)
- Grain-based desserts (12.9%)
- Fruit drinks (10.5%)
- Dairy desserts (6.5%)
- Candy (6.1%)
- Ready-to-eat cereals (3.8%)
- Sugars and honey (3.5%)
- Tea (3.5%)
- Yeast breads (2.1%)
- All other foods (15.4%)
The new dietary guidelines say we should get more fiber in our diets.
The guidelines’ top 10 selected sources of dietary fiber :
- Beans — navy, pinto, black, kidney, white, great northern, and lima (6.2 to 9.6 grams)
- 100% Bran ready-to-eat cereal (9.1 grams)
- Split peas, lentils, chickpeas, or cowpeas (5.6 to 8.1 grams)
- Artichokes (7.2 grams)
- Pears (5.5 grams)
- Soybeans (5.2 grams)
- Plain rye wafer crackers (5.0 grams)
- Bran ready-to-eat cereals — various types (2.6 to 5.0 grams)
- Asian pears (4.4 grams)
- Green peas (3.5 to 4.4 grams)
Dietary Guidelines: Best Foods for Potassium
The new dietary guidelines say we should get more potassium in our diets.
The guidelines’ top 10 selected sources of dietary potassium :
- Baked potatoes including the skin (738 mg)
- Prune juice, canned (707 mg)
- Carrot juice, canned (689 mg)
- Tomato paste (664 mg)
- Beet greens, cooked (654 mg)
- White beans, canned (595 mg)
- Tomato juice, canned (556 mg)
- Plain yogurt, nonfat or low fat (531 to 579 mg)
- Tomato puree (549 mg)
- Sweet potato, baked in skin (542 mg)
Dietary Guidelines: Best Foods for Calcium
The new dietary guidelines advise Americans to get more calcium in their diets.
The guidelines’ top 10 selected sources of dietary calcium:
- Fortified ready-to-eat cereals (250 mg to 1,000 mg)
- Orange juice fortified with calcium (500 mg)
- Plain yogurt, nonfat (452 mg)
- Romano cheese (452 mg)
- Pasteurized processed Swiss cheese (438 mg)
- Evaporated milk, nonfat (371 mg)
- Tofu, regular, preserved with calcium sulfate (434 mg)
- Plain yogurt, low fat (415 mg)
- Fruit yogurt, low fat (345 mg)
- Ricotta cheese, part skim (337 mg)
Dietary Guidelines: Best Foods for Vitamin D
The new dietary guidelines advise Americans to get more vitamin D in their diets.
The guidelines’ top 10 selected dietary sources of vitamin D :
- Salmon, sockeye, cooked (19.8 mcg)
- Smoked salmon(14.5 mcg)
- Salmon, canned (11.6 mcg)
- Rockfish, cooked (6.5 mcg)
- Tuna, light, canned in oil, drained (5.7 mcg)
- Orange juice, vitamin D fortified (3.4 mcg)
- Sardines, canned in oil, drained (4.1 mcg)
- Tuna, light, canned in water, drained (3.8 mcg)
- Whole milk (3.2 mcg)
- Whole chocolate milk (3.2 mcg)
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