In a reversal of past nutrition guidance, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture released Wednesday, placing steak, cheese and whole milk near the top.
The guidelines urge Americans to prioritize protein and avoid sugary, processed foods that .
The recommendations are part of the . UVA Today checked in with UVA Health’s Angela Sorrentino, a pediatric dietitian, to explain what these changes mean for everyday eating.
Angela Sorrentino, a UVA Health pediatric dietitian, says the updated nutrition guidance encourages people to focus on whole foods, fruits, vegetables and healthy fats. (Contributed photo)
Q. What changes have been made to the food pyramid?
A. The biggest change is the return to using the food pyramid after it was replaced by MyPlate in 2011. MyPlate offered a customizable approach to healthy eating with an online plan calculator that people could use to calculate their individualized needs based on their biological sex, age, weight, height, pregnancy/lactation status and physical activity.
Once people calculated their needs, the MyPlate visual model was a helpful tool to build meals and snacks based on what is recommended. This new food pyramid aims to simplify the way we think about eating.
Q. How do these changes affect what people should eat every day?
A. While the new pyramid aims to simplify nutrition recommendations and limit chronic disease risk, it does not largely change the overarching way dietitians have been approaching dietary recommendations. The new guidelines emphasize the importance of limiting processed foods and including more fruits and vegetables as well as healthy fats, which we know help improve overall health. The increase in daily recommended protein to 1.2-1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight for adults is 1.5-2 times the previous recommended dietary allowance and likely exceeds what is necessary for the average adult.
Q. Are there any new “do’s and don’ts” for what people should eat?
A. Some of the simplified language in the new guidelines can lead to black-and-white thinking around food choices. Here’s an approach from a dietitian:
- Choose foods that fit into your lifestyle and budget.
- Work to build balanced meals, including a source of protein (animal or plant-based), fruits/vegetables, healthy fats (oils, nuts/seeds, fish) and grains (whole grains encouraged).
- Limit saturated fats, processed foods and added sugars, but don’t forget to enjoy foods you like in moderation. Avoiding foods completely can lead to not meeting daily energy needs and can also lead to cravings followed by shame when you do eat these foods.
Q. Has the advice about sugar, fats or processed foods changed?
A. Some of the language is a bit unclear. Let’s break it down:
- Added sugar: New guidelines recommend avoiding sugar-sweetened beverages and processed items with added sugar and recommend less than 10 grams of added sugar per meal. The previous guidelines recommended limiting added sugars to 10% of total daily calories (50 grams added sugar daily based on a 2,000-calorie diet).
- Processed foods: New guidelines recommend avoiding highly processed foods that are salty or have added sugar. Previous guidelines recommended limiting these foods and reading the nutrition label to make informed choices.
- Fats: New guidelines recommend choosing healthy fats and limiting saturated fats to 10% of total daily calories (consistent with prior guidelines). The difference in the new guidelines is the inclusion of full-fat dairy, butter and beef tallow, which all include a considerable amount of saturated fats and we know is correlated with increased chronic disease risk.
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