U.S. dietary guidelines recommend a “healthy eating pattern” to reduce chances of developing chronic disease. The focus should be on nutrient-dense foods including vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy products; plus varied proteins sources including seafood, lean meats and poultry, eggs nuts and seeds, according to their recommendations. The Associated Press photo
Americans’ diets are a little less sweet and a little crunchier, but there’s still too much sugar, white bread and artery-clogging fat, a study suggested.Overall, the authors estimated there was a modest improvement over 16 years on the government’s healthy eating index, from estimated scores of 56 to 58. That’s hardly cause for celebration – 100 is the top score.Diets are still too heavy on foods that can contribute to heart disease, diabetes, obesity and other prevalent U.S. health problems, co-author Fang Fang Zhang, a nutrition researcher at Tufts University near Boston, said.The study was published Tuesday, Sept. 24, in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The results are from an analysis of U.S. government health surveys from 1999 to 2016 involving
