Dietary Guidelines Require A Lifetime of Commitment
The Dietary Guidelines released jointly in the USA on January 7th 2016 by HHS (Health And Human Services) and USDA (US Department Of Agriculture) allow for considerable variation in the details of the diet of individuals, but the key message is clear. The dietary principles require a lifelong commitment in order to be most effective.
Healthy eating includes the following 6 key elements:
1. A variety of vegetables: dark green, red and orange, legumes (beans and peas), starchy and other vegetables
2. Fruits, especially whole fruit
3. Grains, at least half of which are whole grain
4. Fat-free or low-fat dairy, including milk, yogurt, cheese, and/or fortified soy beverages
5. A variety of protein foods, including seafood, lean meats and poultry, eggs, legumes (beans and peas), soy products, and nuts and seeds
6. Oils, including those from plants: canola, corn, olive, peanut, safflower, soybean, and sunflower. Oils also are naturally present in nuts, seeds, seafood, olives, and avocados.
In addition, the following elements require careful limitation:
Sugar (less than 10% of daily calories), sodium (less than 2.300 mg per day), and saturated and trans fats (less than 10% of daily calories).
Finally, a good diet must be supported by adequate physical activity. For adults this means at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity weekly, and for children between 6 and 17 it means at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily.
Healthy eating includes the following 6 key elements:
1. A variety of vegetables: dark green, red and orange, legumes (beans and peas), starchy and other vegetables
2. Fruits, especially whole fruit
3. Grains, at least half of which are whole grain
4. Fat-free or low-fat dairy, including milk, yogurt, cheese, and/or fortified soy beverages
5. A variety of protein foods, including seafood, lean meats and poultry, eggs, legumes (beans and peas), soy products, and nuts and seeds
6. Oils, including those from plants: canola, corn, olive, peanut, safflower, soybean, and sunflower. Oils also are naturally present in nuts, seeds, seafood, olives, and avocados.
In addition, the following elements require careful limitation:
Sugar (less than 10% of daily calories), sodium (less than 2.300 mg per day), and saturated and trans fats (less than 10% of daily calories).
Finally, a good diet must be supported by adequate physical activity. For adults this means at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity weekly, and for children between 6 and 17 it means at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily.