One of the controversies surrounding the Dietary Guidelines produced by the USDA is that they are inconsistent in their recommendations. In some instances they recommend increasing or decreasing specific foods (ex. eat more fruit). In other instances they recommend increasing or decreasing specific nutrients (ex. eat less solid fat, eat less salt) rather than making the recommendation based on the food in which the nutrient is most commonly found.
I think this is confusing, especially for the average American who isn't obsessed with nutrition like I am but who wants to follow the guidelines and eat healthier.
I think this is confusing, especially for the average American who isn't obsessed with nutrition like I am but who wants to follow the guidelines and eat healthier.
What do you think?
- Would you rather get recommendations based on nutrients (more vitamin D, more folate, less salt, less fat, less sugar, etc) or would you rather get recommendations based on foods (less red meat, more vegetables, more low-fat dairy, more fish, etc)?
- Have you heard of the Dietary Guidelines?
- Have you read them or do you know what they generally recommend?
1. I would much rather know specific foods. Telling me blueberries are really good brain-food will inspire me to search out foods that have blueberries in them. Just having the ingredient will not inspire me to read labels.
ReplyDelete2. I've heard of them, but am not overly familiar.
3. I tend to not trust 'guidelines', so I don't take time to research them. Aren't they the people who'll say something is bad for you, then once everyone has stopped eating it they realize it's very healthy after all? :P
1. based on foods
ReplyDelete2. nope
3. nope
Good insights, Margie. Thank you for sharing. I see your point about following the guidelines. They are based on the most current research, which does change. But I think that makes it more confusing for the average consumer who doesn't follow nutrition research (and even for those of us who do!).
ReplyDeleteThanks for the short and sweet response, Alecia!
Why do I ask? Yes, because I want some comments to moderate on my blog...but more importantly because I want to know how to share this information as a nutrition professional. I can see the pros and cons of both approaches, but I want to give people concepts and recommendations they can actually apply. I might be giving a seminar on this subject soon, so I wanted to get some feedback. Thanks to those who have and (and hopefully will) respond. Any insights you have are much appreciated. ;)
ReplyDelete1. Singling out nutrients only serves to protect special interests. The feds don't want to anger the industry. So they're fine with saying "eat more" specific foods, because it benefits those industries, but they're loathe to say something like "eat less meat," even though that's what the vast majority of dietitians would say (correct me if I'm wrong). So it's "eat less sat fat" instead, which makes it indirect and vague, and hence ignored by pretty much everyone.
ReplyDeleteOn top of that, people see product claims of "less sugar" or "less salt" and think, "oh, this must be healthy then," ignoring the fact that the claim is on a box of junk food.
So I'm all for being told to eat less of specific foods, and beyond that, of being told to just eat less in general (which I'm glad to see they touch on in the new guidelines)
2. Yep.
3. General understanding.
1. I'd much rather be given recommendations based on food. It's confusing and it's too time consuming to figure out what to eat based on nutrients.
ReplyDelete2. Yes
3. Yes, but the chances of me remembering what they are and following them are slim.