BEWARE: Poor dietary advice persists

Every five years, we go through the same song and dance…

Updating the dietary guidelines for Americans.

(This is currently underway for 2025—2030.)

And every time, it ends up being pretty useless.

Let’s take a look…

Plants versus animals

The scientific report that offers “evidence-based guidance” for the next iteration of these guidelines gets submitted for federal agencies to review. It’s also open for public comment for a short period of time. (Comments are now closed.)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) then use the report as a key resource, alongside public comments and agency input, to develop the newest guidelines.

The current version—Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030—generated great controversy due to its emphasis on plant-based foods.

Once again, the bias is clear: Meat bad, plants good!

Sure, plenty of scientific literature supports the health benefits of eating more plants. And I fully believe we can all benefit from eating more vegetables, low-sugar fruits, and legumes.

That said, the methods used to pit plant-based foods against animal-based ones are far from legitimate. And as usual, the guidelines should not be so black-and-white.

But as always, the devil is in the details…

Missing the forest for the trees

According to the advisory committee, a “healthy dietary pattern” includes the following…

• Consume higher amounts of: Vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, whole grains, fish/seafood, and vegetable oils higher in unsaturated fat
• Consume lower amounts of: Red and processed meats, sugar-sweetened foods and beverages, refined grains, and saturated fat.

Okay, they got a few things right. But here again, where’s the science that shows red meat is bad? And how do vegetable oils—an undeniable dietary disaster—still get a pass?

(Please order yourself a copy of my book, The Hamptons Diet, for a full explanation about fats and oils.)

Of course, I’m pleased they’re railing against sugar-sweetened foods and beverages, as well as refined grains. The report even emphasizes that people should primarily drink plain water. (Finally!)

That’s a HUGE leap forward, but we’re still taking two steps back.

See, these agencies also want to move beans, peas, and lentils from the vegetable group to the protein group. Then, they want to rearrange which proteins Americans should focus on.

Unsurprisingly, they emphasize plant-based protein—beans, peas, lentils, nuts, seeds, and soy products—before suggesting animal-based protein. And even then, the list highlights seafood before meat, poultry, and eggs.

That’s utter nonsense—and completely out of touch with how Americans eat!

Instead of improving our food supply to ensure meat, poultry, and eggs are safe and accessible, they simply “demote” them—while pushing crops loaded with herbicides and pesticides?

And where’s the report on the health dangers of ultra-processed foods? When have highly processed foods ever been part of a healthy diet?

It’s really such a shame that our so-called “experts” can’t even pull together an accurate, unbiased nutritional guideline to help you eat better.

So, I’ll end with this: Adopt a balanced diet full of fresh, whole foods. That includes grass-fed and -finished meat, wild-caught fish and seafood, organic, seasonal produce, and healthy fats from nuts, seeds, and eggs.

After all, food can—and should—be used as medicine. And the quicker we realize the mainstream’s approach to proper nutrition is flawed, the better.

Source:

“Plant-Based Food Prioritized Over Meat in Dietary Guidelines Report.” Medscape, 12/24/2024. (medscape.com/viewarticle/plant-based-food-prioritized-over-meat-dietary-guidelines-2024a1000p2f)