It’s March madness of a different sort. The food industry, health professionals and various onlookers are now commenting on the 571-page report by the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. The committee submitted its recommendations in late February to Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. They are expected to release new guidelines (which are reviewed and revised every five years) by the end of this year.
As stated in the report, “The overall body of evidence examined by the 2015 DGAC identifies that a healthy dietary pattern is higher in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low- or nonfat dairy, seafood, legumes, and nuts; moderate in alcohol (among adults); lower in red and processed meat; and low in sugar-sweetened foods and drinks and refined grains.”