New Dietary Guidelines Give Cholesterol and Red Meat a Free Pass

By THE EDITORS OF EATCLEAN.COM JANUARY 7, 2016
dietary guidelines
PHOTOGRAPH BY SWELL MEDIA/GETTY IMAGES
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The much-anticipated 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans dropped today, and while we saw added sugars' slap on the wrist—and feds' advice to bulk up our intake of fruits, veggies, and whole grains—coming a mile away, the guidelines came with a few surprises. Namely, proposed recommendations to crack down on red and processed meat consumption didn't make the cut and the gov's previous cap on cholesterol was removed.

The new guidelines, which aim to provide science-based nutritionrecommendations to help people keep their weight under control and prevent chronic conditions, do advise limiting saturated fat intake and focusing on alternative sources of protein such as nuts and seeds, but there's no direct suggestion to scale back on the bacon.

Or eggs. While the feds advise eating "as little dietary cholesterol as possible," the new guidelines do away with a previous 300 mg a day recommended daily limit on cholesterol.  
 
Also, some good news for coffee drinkers: The guidelines give moderate consumption—three to five 8-ounce cups a day or up to 400 mg of caffeine a day—a thumbs up, but do not advise picking up the habit if you're not downing the stuff already.

So, the standard American breakfast is safe.

2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans

 

As for the rest of your diet? The newly released 8th edition of the Dietary Guidelines recognizes the importance of focusing not on individual nutrients or foods in isolation, but on the variety of what people eat and drink—healthy eating patterns as a whole—to bring about lasting improvements in individual and population health.

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