2010 Dietary Guidelines Stress Healthy Food ChoicesWhole grains are part of the solution.Every five years, the United States Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services release new guidance for consumers to help them improve their diet and lead a healthy lifestyle. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans also helps policymakers in designing and implementing nutrition-related programs, and they provide health educators with the latest science-based recommendations. The release of the 2010 Guidelines is focused on consuming fewer calories, making informed food choices, and being physically active in order to attain and maintain a healthy weight, reduce risk of chronic disease, and promote overall health. The Guidelines offer the following simple recommendations for consumers.
Most Americans Don't Eat Enough Whole Grains. The Guidelines also suggested that consumers increase their consumption of whole grains, among several other foods. Less than 5 percent of Americans consume the minimum recommended amount of whole grains, which for many is about 3 ounce-equivalents* per day. On average, Americans eat less than 1 ounce-equivalent of whole grains per day. The simple advice for consumers is to eat at least half of all grains as whole grains. One way to increase whole-grain intake is by replacing some refined grains with whole grains. Other foods to increase consumption included: vegetables, fruit, fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products, certain protein foods including seafood, and choose more foods that provide potassium, dietary fiber, calcium, and vitamin D, which are nutrients of concern in American diets. Roman Meal can help you meet the Dietary Guidelines.
More information on the 2010 Dietary Guidelines is available at www.dietaryguidelines.gov. * An ounce-equivalent is one slice of 100% whole grain bread, or two slices of "made with" whole grain bread. |
