Committee recommends new dietary guidelines for HHS, USDA review

Washington – Americans do not have to eliminate food groups to become healthier, but they do need to eat more fruits and vegetables while consuming less saturated fat and sodium, according to a new report from the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee.

The committee – composed of nutritional and health experts – examined the 2010 U.S. dietary guidelines and the latest scientific evidence to determine what food-based recommendations should be emphasized in the next set of guidelines.

In the Feb. 19 report, which was submitted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services, the committee found that Americans’ dietary habits are related to poor individual and population health, as well as higher chronic disease rates. Few improvements have been made in consumers’ food choices during recent decades, the report states.

The committee found evidence that suggests a healthy diet exhibits these qualities:

• Higher in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low- or non-fat dairy, seafood, legumes and nuts
• Lower in red and processed meats, sugar-sweetened foods and drinks, and refined grains
• Moderate amounts of alcohol consumption among adults

A public meeting on the report is scheduled for March 24 in Bethesda, MD, and will be available via live webcast. Comments are due April 8.