WASHINGTON — Editor’s Note: The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025, was recently released by the U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS). Statements concerning the details of these guidelines have been released by several organizations, below. To read more about the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025, click here.
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
Dietary Guidelines For Americans Solidifies The Benefits Of Beef And A Healthy Diet
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) today commends the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for finalizing the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs), which recognizes the role of lean beef in a healthy diet across all life stages and ages.
Updated every five years, the DGAs serve as the foundation for federal nutrition policy and shape the recommendations found on USDA’s MyPlate. While there is no one-size-fits-all diet, “Beef is one of Americans’ favorite foods, and science consistently shows lean beef can be the cornerstone in a variety of healthy diets,” said NCBA President Marty Smith. “Now more than ever, the key to proper nutrition is giving people practical and realistic advice, to help create balanced diets that work for them – featuring foods they love, like beef, which pairs perfectly with other nutrient-rich foods,”
The DGAs emphasized the importance of making every bite count by choosing nutrient-rich foods most often; that is easy to do with beef. No other protein food delivers the same nutrient-rich package as beef in about 170 calories, on average, per three-ounce serving of cooked beef. Beef is a good source of ten essential nutrients including high quality protein, iron, zinc, and choline with more than 30 lean cuts.
“U.S. cattle producers appreciate the work of the committee, USDA and HHS on their sole focus on nutrition and science-based research to put together a set of recommendations that will benefit all Americans,” Smith said.
National Milk Producers Federation
Dietary Guidelines Reaffirm Dairy’s Crucial Nutritional Benefits; Fats Review Urged for 2025
The National Milk Producers Federation praised USDA and HHS today upon the release of the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), which reaffirmed dairy’s central role in diet as a provider of essential nutrients that are often under-consumed in American diets. NMPF also pledged to continue efforts to broaden consideration of the latest science on dairy fats in the next examination of the federal guidelines, which are released twice each decade.
“USDA and HHS deserve praise for once again recognizing just how vital dairy is to the nation’s health and well-being,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF. “We encourage them to affirm that role even more clearly in the next iteration of the Dietary Guidelines, to reflect the positive contribution of dairy fats in diets that’s increasingly recognized in a growing body of evidence.”
The guidelines culminate nearly two years of work that began in 2019 with the selection of the Scientific Advisory Committee, which drafts recommendations for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services.
The latest update to the guidelines restates dairy’s importance to diet. Highlights include:
- A recommendation of three servings of dairy in the Healthy U.S. Eating pattern and Healthy Vegetarian Eating patterns, in keeping with past guidelines
- Dairy’s continued recognition as a distinct food group
- A recognition that Americans aren’t consuming enough dairy to meet their nutritional needs
- Dairy’s reaffirmation as a source of four nutrients of public health concern, including potassium, calcium, and vitamin D, as well as iodine for pregnant women
- A recommendation of milk, yogurt, and cheese in the first-ever healthy eating patterns geared toward infants and toddlers ages birth to 24 months.
“The panel’s recognition that dairy is a key source of ‘nutrients of concern’ in U.S. diets is especially important,” Mulhern said. “During a time of food insecurity and concerns about proper nutrition among Americans, dairy is a readily accessible solution to clearly identified public-health challenges. Dairy farmers work hard to be part of that solution, and the panel’s recognition of the nutritional importance of dairy is greatly appreciated.”
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans have significant implications for numerous government policy areas, including guiding the types of milk served in school meal programs and setting the parameters for how nutrition programs are implemented and developed.
National Pork Board
USDA, HHS Release New Dietary Guidelines For Americans
The 2020-2025 Guidelines Reaffirm Lean Pork’s Role In A Healthy Diet
The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) was released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Updated every five years, this report serves as the foundation for federal nutrition policy and shapes the recommendations found on USDA’s MyPlate. The DGA also provides the public with tools they need to make informed decisions regarding food for their families. This edition marks the first time the guidelines provide recommendations by life stage, from birth through adulthood.
The guidelines reaffirm the role of lean pork in a healthy diet and are consistent with the recommendation to include a variety of nutrient-dense proteins. Overall, they advise people to “follow a healthy dietary pattern” that consists primarily of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean meat and poultry, and low-fat dairy or fortified soy alternatives. They also advise limiting added sugars, saturated fats, sodium and alcoholic drinks and staying within recommended calorie limits.
While fresh pork is respected by the scientific community as a nutritious source of lean protein, it continues to lag behind other proteins when it comes to consumer perceptions of being “good for me and my family” according to the ongoing Checkoff-funded At Home Meat Tracker.
In response, the National Pork Board is updating its approach to Human Nutrition Research and building a strategic pathway for pork nutrition that capitalizes on the latest research and opportunities that will ultimately help evolve perceptions for pork in a healthy diet and overall nutritional well-being. As we build a new health narrative, this will be an important message that we bring to life through Real Pork.
In 2021, be on the lookout for:
- A new look and new messages to help consumers make the connection to pork being “good for me and my family.”
- A more holistic wellness approach including a public wellness challenge in January demonstrating how pork fits into healthy lifestyles.
- The Checkoff’s continued involvement in human nutrition and behavioral science research to support pork’s presence in health and wellness dialogue globally.
American Egg Board
New Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend eggs for the nutrition babies need for brain development
Parents can make every bite count by feeding eggs as a fundamental first food
One of the best foods for a baby’s healthy brain development is already in most refrigerators: eggs. In an historic first, the newly released 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans include recommendations for birth to 24 months old and specifically recommend eggs as an important first food for infants and toddlers, as well as for pregnant women and lactating moms.
The new Guidelines substantiate that eggs — long known to be a vital source of nutrients for people of all ages — provide several key nutrients important for babies during the time in which their brains are most rapidly developing. Notably, the Guidelines highlight the importance of choline, a nutrient plentiful in eggs, while recommending eggs as a first food for babies to reduce risk for an egg allergy.
“The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans confirm what the science has shown: eggs provide critical nutritional support for brain health, and they play a crucial role in infant development and prenatal health,” said Emily Metz, president and CEO of the American Egg Board. “With 90% of brain growth happening before kindergarten, eggs help make every bite count, especially when babies are just being introduced to solid foods.”
As a fundamental first food for babies, eggs are one of the most concentrated sources of choline, a nutrient that has now been recognized as important for brain health. Just one large egg provides the daily choline needs for babies and toddlers, and two large eggs provide more than half of daily choline needs for pregnant moms. Additionally, early introduction of eggs (between 4-6 months of age and when a baby is developmentally ready) may also help reduce the risk of developing an egg allergy.
“As a nutrition scientist and a dad, I know this is important news for parents,” said Dr. Mickey Rubin, executive director of the American Egg Board’s Egg Nutrition Center. “Choline is a nutrient under-consumed by all Americans, and the Guidelines recommend eggs as a notable source of choline to support brain health and development during pregnancy. Additionally, establishing healthy eating patterns from the start ensures children’s growing bodies and brains get the nutrition they need. Eggs are a fundamental food in these early years because they provide a unique nutrient package.”
Eggs: Good for baby — and the rest of us, too
Eggs qualify for all three healthy eating patterns recommended in the new Guidelines, and the Guidelines also affirm that eggs, as a nutrient-dense food, can contribute to the health and well-being of Americans of all ages in several ways, including:
- Important nutrients for teenagers: The Guidelines encourage eggs for pre-teens and adolescents, especially girls, because of the protein and choline they provide.
- Muscle repair and bone health: The high-quality protein in eggs helps maintain and repair muscle while supporting bone health.
- B12 for older adults: Older adults are at nutritional risk for not getting enough protein and vitamin B12, which eggs provide as a good source.
- Natural source of vitamin D: Americans do not get enough vitamin D, for which eggs, as one of the few natural food sources, provide 6% of the daily recommendation.
Learn more about how eggs, as a nutrient-dense food, support babies’ healthy brain development and contribute to health and well-being at every age and life stage. Find family-friendly recipes and advice about introducing eggs to your youngest family members at EggNutritionCenter.org.
About the American Egg Board (AEB)
Home of the Incredible Egg, the AEB is the U.S. egg industry’s national commodity marketing board. The AEB’s mission is to increase demand for eggs and egg products through research, education and promotion. The Egg Nutrition Center is the science and education division of the AEB. The AEB is located in Chicago, Ill. For more, visit IncredibleEgg.org.
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