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WTOP talked with a local nutritionist and a physician about what this means and whether you should adapt your diet.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently unveiled a new food pyramid that prioritized proteins and healthy fats.
But what does this mean for you and your diet?
“We see that there’s an emphasis on whole and minimally processed foods, and that really is a welcome shift away from decades of more nutrient-focused messaging,” said Patti Truant Anderson, policy director at the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future.
She said the focus of the new food pyramid moves away from added preservatives and toward fruits and veggies.
“We see that fruits and vegetables are prominently in the new food pyramid, which aligns with evidence-based dietary patterns, which we know help people live longer,” she said.
But there are parts of the new pyramid she thinks people should pay attention to. This includes the added emphasis on protein and meat.
“I think that there are some aspects that may be misleading to consumers when you look just at the new food pyramid, compared to the actual guidelines,” Truant Anderson said.
She said the big focus on meat and dairy products might be confusing to some.
“How do you increase your protein content without increasing your saturated fat content too much? And it is possible, but you have to be really careful about that, and focus more on the plant-based and seafood sources of protein,” Truant Anderson said.
Dr. Ashanti Woods, an attending pediatrician at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, said you should be paying attention to what the inversion of the pyramid means for you and your family.
“We’re looking down the road and, ultimately, have a goal of keeping our children healthy,” he said.
He said he liked that the new pyramid encouraged a diversity of foods.
“We want families to consider a plate that has a little bit of everything on it. We want children to explore. We want families to take their children with them shopping to the grocery store so that children can pick out certain foods and give it a try,” he said.
Woods said one of the biggest changes when it comes to the food pyramid is the goal for daily protein intake. Currently, the recommendation is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.
“It’s now been increased to 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein a day, essentially doubling it. While we don’t think children should be eating, consuming, a lot of anything, protein included, we do think that there are some benefits to children eating lean protein,” he said.
And Woods said the healthiest habits come not only from watching what you eat but, “anywhere from three to five days of good exercise in the work week, and good exercise to us is anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes of activity that involves sweating.”
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Valerie Bonk
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