New Dietary Guidelines: What Changed &

What Stayed the Same

By Kris Sollid, R.D. | Dec 11 2015
Last updated Aug 24 2016
Let me take you back to 1980. Pac-Man was king, the Post-It was brand new, and Blondie
topped the charts. It was also the debut of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA).

Sometimes the more things change, the more they stay the same. The nutrition biggies never
changeeat more fruits and vegetables, keep your splurges sensible, and embrace balance,
variety, and moderation. Every five years, a new set of guidelines sheds more light on nutrition
science details and updates what we know about eating right.

In the case of the newly released DGA, a few things have changed. First off, the name. This set
of DGA is officially the 2015-2020 edition, making this eighth edition the first to reflect the 5-
year range it will cover as opposed to the single year in which they were finalized.

Enough about names. Here are 7 important things you need to know about the 2015-2020 DGA:

Sugars: Old Topic, New Recommendation

Low-Calorie Sweeteners: New Topic, Consistent Message
Dietary Fat: Old Topic, Similar Advice
Cholesterol: Old Topic, New Recommendation (or lack thereof!)
Lean, Red, and Processed Meat: Old Topic, Similar Advice
Sodium: Old Topic, Modified Recommendation
Caffeine (Coffee): New Topic

Sugars: Old Topic, New Recommendation

One of the hottest topics of debate (not just in #DietaryGuidelines), is sugars. It seems sugars,
added sugars and sugar-sweetened beverages are being scrutinized the world over, both literally
and figurativelyas weve written about before.

The topic of sugars in the DGA is not new, however. In 2010, the DGA recommended
Americans to limit their intake of Solid Fats and Added Sugars (affectionately named SoFAS at
the time by the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC), but now empty
calories per the 2015 DGAC) to no more than about 5 to 15 percent of calories. At the time,
Americans consumed about 35% of their calories (or about 800 per day) from SoFAS. Today the
number of empty calories we eat per day has declined and is thought to be 25-30% of our total
calories. Its recommended that we cut it down to 8-19%.

The 2015-2020 DGA recommendation is to limit intake of added sugars to less than 10% of
total calories per day. Currently, we get 13-17% of our calories from added sugars.

The 2015-2020 DGA notes that this recommendation is a target based on food pattern
modeling and national data on intakes of calories from added sugars that demonstrate the
public health need to limit calories from added sugars to meet food group and nutrient needs
within calorie limits. The limit on calories from added sugars is not a Tolerable Upper Intake
Level (UL) set by the Institute of Medicine (IOM). In other words, the recommendation to
limit added sugars to less than 10% of total calories is not based on research demonstrating
cause and negative health effects. Rather, this level of intake is thought to give consumers
sufficient room in their diet to include key nutrients while keeping overall calorie intake at
appropriate levels.

While the evidence behind the 10% recommendation is hotly debated, there is no debating that
some people would benefit from reducing their total calories (sugars calories included) in the
effort to achieve and/or maintain a healthy weight. All calories contribute to body weight, not
just those from sugars.

Low-Calorie Sweeteners: New Topic, Consistent Message

The 2010 DGA did not review aspartame, but did make one reference to low-calorie sweeteners.
The 2010 DGA explained that, Replacing added sugars with non-caloric sweeteners may reduce
calorie intake in the short-term, yet questions remain about their effectiveness as a weight
management strategy. Significant research since 2010 has demonstrated the effectiveness of
low-calorie sweeteners in weight management.

The 2015 DGAC Report took a closer look at low-calorie sweeteners, particularly aspartame,
mentioning it 115 times. The 2015 DGAC concluded that, aspartame in amounts commonly
consumed is safe and poses minimal health risk for healthy individuals without phenylketonuria
(PKU).
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) once again confirmed the strong evidence
available to support aspartames safety in foods and beverages, and the 2015 DGAC generally
concurred with EFSA. In addition to reaffirming safety on numerous occasions by regulatory,
health, and scientific authorities around the world, low-calorie sweeteners such as aspartame,
when consumed in the context of a healthful diet and regular physical activity, can be one tool
used for weight management.

The 2015-2020 DGA agrees with leading global authorities (e.g., EFSA and FDA) that low-
calorie sweeteners (e.g., acesulfame potassium (Ace-K), aspartame, saccharin and sucralose)
are safe to consume. By stating, It should be noted that replacing added sugars with high-
intensity sweeteners may reduce calorie intake in the short-term, yet questions remain about
their effectiveness as a long-term weight management strategy, the 2015-2020 DGA advice
on low-calorie sweeteners doesnt differ much from that given in 2010. What this statement
doesnt make clear is that effective weight management strategies are typically personal, and
may need to account for many variables beyond simply substituting low-calorie sweeteners for
added sugars.

Dietary Fat: Old Topic, Similar Advice

Ok, its time to chew the fat. If you followed the 2015 DGAC deliberations as diligently as I did
(#DGAC2015 anyone?), then you know dietary fats were an important point of discussionso
much so that they dedicated a Working Group to one fatty acid in particular, saturated fat. Weve
written about the big, fat saturated fat debate before and many news stories have claimed major
changes afoot with fat, yet the guidance has stayed largely consistent.

The 2015-2020 DGA recommendation is to limit saturated fat intake to less than 10% of total
calories. This advice mirrors that given in 2010. The 2015-2020 DGA rationale for continuing
this advice on saturated fats has to do with reducing risk for cardiovascular disease.
The 2015 DGAC hinted at a possible removal of a long-standing limit on total dietary fat intake.
The 2015-2020 DGA uses the ADMR established by the IOM that adults 19 years and older
consume 20-35% of their calories from total fats.

Both the 2015 DGAC and the 2015-2020 DGA agree on the importance of fat in our diet,
encouraging us to be more aware of the types of fats we eat (i.e. replacing saturated with mono-
and polyunsaturated) and less about the total amount of fat we eat. Thats what the best available
scientific evidence tells us. If youve read my thoughts on fats before, this may sound familiar:
Fats are like fonts, its the type that matters most.
Cholesterol: Old Topic, New Recommendation (or lack
thereof!)

The latest official advice on cholesterol may catch you off guard. You might want to be sitting
down for this one: Dietary cholesterol does not play a major role in blood cholesterol. In other
words, the kind of cholesterol in the foods we eat isnt the driving factor for the kind of
cholesterol doctors care about. Nutrition scientists have been hinting at this for quite some time,
but the change in official dietary guidance will likely be news to the public. Many factors affect
blood cholesterol more than dietary cholesterol, such as physical activity, body weight, intake of
saturated and trans fat, heredity, age, and sex.

In 2010, the DGA recommended limiting dietary cholesterol intake to less than 300 milligrams
(mg) per dayat the time, men were consuming 350 mg and women 240 mg per day. The 2015-
2020 DGA make no recommendation to limit cholesterol, stating that Adequate evidence is
not available for a quantitative limit for dietary cholesterol specific to the Dietary Guidelines.

Heres the rationale. Currently, the average intake of cholesterol for Americans is 267 mg
(according to 2011-12 NHANES data for males and females 2 years old and over), thus
cholesterol is no longer considered a nutrient of concern for overconsumption. This change
doesnt mean that dietary cholesterol is meaningless. The food sources for all the nutrients we
consume (cholesterol included) are still the key to building a healthful diet.

Lean, Red, and Processed Meat: Old Topic, Similar Advice

Advice from the 2010 DGA encourages us to Choose a variety of protein foods, which include
seafood, lean meat and poultry, eggs, beans and peas, soy products, and unsalted nuts and seeds.
The 2010 DGA stated, moderate evidence suggests an association between the increased intake
of processed meats (e.g., franks, sausage, and bacon) and increased risk of colorectal cancer and
cardiovascular disease.

The advice on meat and poultry consumption in the 2015-2020 DGA remains the same as it
was in 2010. The 2015-2020 DGA states, The recommendation for the meats, poultry, and
eggs subgroup in the Healthy U.S.-Style Eating Pattern at the 2,000-calorie level is 26 ounce-
equivalents per week. This is the same as the amount that was in the primary USDA Food
Patterns of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines. The DGA further states that Choices within these
eating patterns may include processed meats and processed poultry as long as the resulting
eating pattern is within limits for sodium, calories from saturated fats and added sugars, and
total calories.
The topic of meat met the press recently when The International Agency for Research on Cancer
(IARC), a specialized cancer agency of the World Health Organization (WHO) raised concerns
about a relationship between processed meat and cancer. IARC issued a clarification on its own
report stating, The latest IARC review does not ask people to stop eating processed meats but
indicates that reducing consumption of these products can reduce the risk of colorectal cancer.

Sodium: Old Topic, Modified Recommendation

The 2010 DGA recommended Americans to Reduce daily sodium intake to less than 2,300
milligrams (mg) and further reduce intake to 1,500 mg among persons who are 51 and older and
those of any age who are African American or have hypertension, diabetes, or chronic kidney
disease. The 1,500 mg recommendation applies to about half of the U.S. population, including
children, and the majority of adults.

Modifying its previous stance from 2010 on sodium, the official recommendation from the
2015-2020 DGA for the general population is to limit sodium intake to less than 2300 mg per
day. The 2015-2020 DGA states, Healthy eating patterns limit sodium to less than 2,300 mg
per day for adults and children ages 14 years and older and to the age- and sex-appropriate
Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (UL) of sodium for children younger than 14 years. The new
DGA also state that for individuals with prehypertension and hypertension further reduction
to 1,500 mg per day can [emphasis added] result in even greater blood pressure reduction.
A shake up in sodium science has taken place in recent years. The IOM offered the most
significant dash of evidence on May 14, 2013 in releasing its report, Sodium Intake in
Populations: Assessment of Evidence. This landmark analysis compiled the most current
evidence regarding sodium and cardiovascular disease, stroke and mortality. The literature
search included 38 scientific studies with 34 being observational design and four randomized
clinical control trials. According to the IOM, there is no evidence to support treating population
subgroups differently from the general population or to indicate a benefit from lowering sodium
intake below 2,300 mg per daythis finding was a marked difference from the 2010 DGA and is
reflected in the 2015-2020 DGA. The IOM report does state, however, that there are limitations
in the available data and suggests that a healthy sodium intake range could be addressed in
future clinical studies.

Coffee & Caffeine: New Topic

The inclusion of caffeine and coffee as topics in the 2015-2020 DGA is unprecedented. The 2010
DGA made no recommendation on coffee consumption, while mentioning coffee a mere three
times and not mentioning caffeine at all. By contrast, the 2015 DGAC Report mentions
coffee 209 times and caffeine 205 times.

Because most of the existing evidence on caffeine intake is derived from coffee consumption,
the 2015-2020 DGA states that Moderate coffee consumption (three to five 8-oz cups/day or
providing up to 400 mg/day of caffeine) can be incorporated into healthy eating patterns. The
important caveat here is that people who do not currently consume caffeine (in various forms)
are not encouraged to begin.

If youre a javahead like me, then youre likely aware of the buzz about caffeine these days.
About 80% of the caffeine in our diets comes from coffee and research continues to illustrate the
benefits of coffeeapparently, its more than just the best part of waking up. Drinking 3 to 5
cups of coffee per day (up to 400 mg/day caffeine) does not negatively affect long-term health in
healthy individuals. Actually, coffee consumption may be a factor in good health. Drinking
coffee is associated with reduced risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Additionally, caffeine may play a protective role against Parkinsons disease.

My Message: Mindfulness Matters

Nutrition science is an evolving fieldand one that has piqued the publics interest. As an RD, I
think its fantastic that people want to know more about the role of food in health. The new DGA
encourage us all to think holistically about what we eat and drink. Our diets are more than just
the sum of their partsand we could all benefit from being a little more mindful about some
parts of our diet.

Setting the Egg-spectation

By Kamilah Guiden | Jan 20 2016
Last updated Jan 29 2016
I love eggs.

I eat them almost every day, for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a snack. I eat them on their own,
with some cheese, on a Caesar salad, in soup, or on a sweet potato. I like them boiled, fried,
sunny side up, over easy, poached, or benedicted. Any way, any time, any meal- I love eggs.

Of course, loving eggs so much doesnt come without questions, specifically my cholesterol. For
the record, my cholesterol is pretty low and always has been despite the egg consumption. But if
youre worried about cholesterol in eggs, dont fret. The 2015 Dietary Guidelines states that
dietary cholesterols does not play a major role in blood cholesterol, adding that many more
important factors affect blood cholesterol.

Ok, so now that the cholesterol question is still out of the way, I know what youre thinking:
Should I eat the yolk or the egg white? Its a good question, but one where we need to take a
quick peak into the anatomy of an egg. If the egg was fertilized, the yolk, or the yellow part of
the egg, would provide the nutrition to the growing chicken, while the egg white protects the
yolk from damage.

Still following? Great! With all of this in mind, most of the nutritional value comes from, you
guessed it, the yolk. Crazy, I know, but Im not yolking you. The yolk contains fat soluble
vitamins like vitamin A, D, E, and K; water soluble B vitamins like B1, B2, B3, B5, B6,
B12; choline; biotin; folic acid; and minerals like iron and calcium. Vitamin A, D, and E
supports immune health, and Vitamin K helps blood to clot, preventing excessive bleeding.
Vitamin A, D and calcium helps to support bone health. The B vitamins help in cell growth, as
well as regulating the metabolism, and biotin converts food into energy and metabolizes fats and
protein. Eggs yolks also contain polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat, which have been
shown to support a healthy cardiovascular system.
What about the egg white? The egg white contains the protein, and its a complete protein. That
means that it contains all the essential amino acids in the right amounts. But the egg white isnt
the only place protein is found in an egg. While the white does contain 57% of the protein, the
yolk contains 43% (egg whites have 3.6g of protein, while the yolk has 2.7g). The egg whites
also have less calories, only 17 compared to egg whites 55. So egg whites are actually an
alternative to eating a whole egg if you're focusing on your calorie intake. For example, if you
are used to eating a 3-egg omelette, but you want to limit calorie and saturated fat intake, you can
replace 1 egg with an egg white. However, remember that the fat in the yolk and protein in the
whites contribute to satiety (feeling full and satisfied) so sometimes the whole egg may be the
best option to avoid overeating later.

One more thing to note about eggs, they do contain some saturated fat, which can increase blood
cholesterol. If you are trying to lower your cholesterol, that's another situation to consider eating
only the egg whites, or avoiding or limiting other sources of saturated and trans fat.

So, there you have it! Eggs, the yolk and whites included, can be part of an eggs-ellent and
healthy diet. Now, Im going to get my eggs on and enjoy an egg salad sandwich.
New Dietary Guidelines Might Exclude Cholesterol Limit

By Judith C. Thalheimer, RD, LDN

Decades-long recommendations to limit dietary cholesterol may soon change. Every five years,
the US Department of Agriculture and Department of Health and Human Services release an
update of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). These recommendations, which
influence everything from school meal nutrition standards to the USDA's MyPlate,1 are based on
a review of the latest research compiled by the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee
(DGAC).

In a recently released report offering recommendations for the 2015 DGA, the DGAC concluded,
"Cholesterol is not a nutrient of concern for overconsumption."2 If the 2015 DGA, due out this
fall, includes this advice, no longer will there be a recommended upper limit for dietary
cholesterol intake. "This is a very controversial statement," says Penny Kris-Etherton, PhD, RD,
FAHA, FNLA, CLS, distinguished professor of nutrition at Penn State University. "There were a
lot of comments on both sides of the issue at the DGAC meeting."

Controversial Proposal
The 2010 DGAs advise limiting dietary cholesterol intake to less than 300 mg per day.3 In
making its recommendation to eliminate this limit in the 2015 DGA, the DGAC cites an
American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology (AHA/ACC) report that concluded
there's insufficient evidence to show that restricting dietary cholesterol lowers low-density
lipoproteins (LDL-C) in the blood.4 Other prominent health advocacy groups, such as the Center
for Science in the Public Interest and Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, disagree.
They believe the evidence does support dietary cholesterol restrictions.5,6

The fact that elevated serum cholesterol is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD)
isn't in dispute. Higher serum LDL-C correlates to higher CVD risk.7 The question is whether
eating a large amount of high-cholesterol foods leads to high serum LDL-C, and whether
limiting dietary cholesterol intake lowers serum LDL-C. Research is more definitive about
saturated fat and trans fat, both of which can raise LDL-C levels and CVD risk.2,4 While the
DGAC recommendations suggest removing dietary cholesterol limits, they continue to list
saturated fat as a "nutrient of concern for overconsumption" and state that decreasing saturated
fat intake will lead to lower CVD risk.2

Many high-cholesterol foods also contain high levels of saturated fat.1 Arguments against
eliminating longstanding advice to limit dietary cholesterol intake include a concern that the
public will see this as a license to consume unlimited foods such as dairy products, meat, and
some processed foods, which are high in both cholesterol and saturated fat.6 Other foods, such as
eggs and seafood, including shrimp and lobster, are high in cholesterol but not saturated fat.7 In
2013, Shin and colleagues published a review and meta-analysis looking at egg consumption and
CVD. Individuals who ate egg at least once per day didn't have a significantly higher risk of
CVD than those who never consumed egg.8
What Nutrition Professionals Should Do
Cholesterol is essential to human physiology, but since the body manufactures all the cholesterol
it needs, dietary cholesterol is unnecessary for survival. Besides diet, many factors contribute to
high blood cholesterol levels, including genetics, overweight/obesity, inactivity, and age, making
serum cholesterol management a multifactorial problem.9

From a diet perspective, the AHA/ACC guidelines recommend lowering LDL-C by limiting
saturated fat to 5% to 6% of calories, reducing trans fat intake, and following a calorie-
appropriate diet based on vegetables, fruits, and whole grains; low-fat dairy, poultry, fish,
legumes, nontropical vegetable oils, and nuts; with limited sweets, sugar-sweetened beverages,
and red meats.4 The DGAC report encourages a similar dietary pattern to decrease CVD risk, but
suggests daily intake of less than 10% of total calories from saturated fat.2

It's uncertain whether the 2015 DGAs will include the DGAC's recommendation to remove the
limit on dietary cholesterol intake, putting high cholesterol/low-saturated fat foods, such as eggs,
shellfish, and organ meats, back on the menu. If dietary cholesterol recommendations are
changed, it's unclear whether that change will apply to high-risk individuals, such as people
already diagnosed with heart disease or those with certain CVD risk factors such as diabetes. "It's
important for nutrition professionals to stay tuned on this issue," Kris-Etherton says. "There will
be more information coming out, and there's certain to be a lot of discussion."

Judith C. Thalheimer, RD, LDN, is a freelance nutrition writer, a community educator,

and the principal of JTRD Nutrition Education Services.

References
1. American Heart Association. New federal guidelines may lift dietary cholesterol limits.
American Heart Association website. http://blog.heart.org/new-federal-guidelines-may-lift-
dietary-cholesterol-limits/. February 12, 2015.

2. United States Department of Agriculture. Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines
Advisory Committee. http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015-scientific-
report/PDFs/Scientific-Report-of-the-2015-Dietary-Guidelines-Advisory-Committee.pdf).
February 2015.

3. US Department of Agriculture and US Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary

Guidelines for Americans 2010. 7th Edition, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office,
December 2010.

4. Stone NJ, Robinson JG, Lichtenstein AH, et al. 2013 ACC/AHA guideline on the treatment of
blood cholesterol to reduce atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk in adults: a report of the American
College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines.
Circulation. 2014;129:S76-S99.

5. Jacobson MF. Dietary Guidelines Advice, Mostly Unchanged, is Mostly Praised by CSPI.
Center for Science in the Public Interest website. http://cspinet.org/new/201502192.html.
February 19, 2015.
6. Templeton D. Scientists debate impact of removing guidelines for dietary cholesterol.
Chicago Tribune website. http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/health/sns-tns-bc-health-
cholesterol-guide-20150413-story.html#page=1. April 13, 2015.

7. Kanter MM, Kris-Etherton PM, Fernandez ML, Vickers KC, Katz DL. Exploring the Factors
That Affect Blood Cholesterol and Heart Disease Risk: Is Dietary Cholesterol as Bad for You as
History Leads Us to Believe? Adv Nutr. 2012;(3): 711-717.

8. Shin JY, Xun P, Nakamura Y, He K. Egg consumption in relation to risk of cardiovascular

disease and diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2013;98(1):146-
159.

9. American Heart Association. Q & A about federal nutrition panel's advice on dietary
cholesterol. American Heart Association website. http://blog.heart.org/qa-federal-nutrition-
panels-advice-dietary-cholesterol/. February 12, 2015.

New U.S. dietary guidelines limit sugar,

rethink cholesterol

By Jen Christensen, CNN

Updated 2146 GMT (0546 HKT) January 7, 2016

New dietary guidelines limit sugar, rethink cholesterol 01:35

Story highlights

The U.S. government releases new dietary guidelines

For first time, it puts a limit on sugar: Added sugar should be 10% of daily calories

(CNN)Just in time to help with your New Year's resolution to eat more healthily, the government
announced its latest dietary guidelines on Thursday.

The 2015 guidelines recommend a "healthy eating pattern" with limited sugar and saturated fat,
less salt and more vegetables and whole grains.

You might remember the food pyramid poster from your grade school classroom, or the "My
Plate" icon from your child's cafeteria. Those earnest posters are a boiled-down version of a
complicated food science discussion between government-appointed experts and all the other
players in this food fight, including dietitians, scientists, doctors, medical associations, the food
industry and the public. The guidelines are revised every five years, and the draft version of this
year's guide came in months ago at more than 500 pages.

In the end, there are some breadcrumbs -- whole-wheat, of course -- of advice to follow. The
guidance affects everything from what's served in school and prison lunches to how food labels
work. It helps dietitians guide their clients. Experts say it also puts pressure on manufacturers
and restaurants about what they put in their food.

Here are nine things you should know about the 2015 guidelines:

1. Extract that sweet tooth

For the first time, the government put a limit on sugar, saying added sugar should make up only
10% of your daily calories.

Study: Cutting sugar improves kids' health in 10 days

The guidelines are based on Americans eating a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, so 10% of that diet is
about 50 grams of sugar. Drinking more than one can of full sugar soda maxes out the limit. This
guideline isn't as strict as what the American Heart Association suggests -- it recommends about
half that -- but the limit is significant.

Eating a diet with a lot of sugar increases your risk for heart disease, studies show, and can lead
to obesity and all the diseases associated with that, including cancer and Type 2 diabetes.

If you have a sweet tooth, dietitian Lisa Drayer suggests you budget for it. Look for less-sweet
substitutes. Replace full-sugar sodas with seltzer and a splash of cranberry, for instance. Also
keep in mind that sugar comes in more than cookies and candy form. Sauces and dressings can
trip you up, too. "I was in the supermarket the other day and picked up a salad dressing that had
more sugar than four doughnuts," Drayer said. Check the label for sugar that goes by other
names like fructose, sucrose, corn syrup or honey.

2. The Easter bunny is all over this one

If you are of a certain age, your doctor might have told you to watch the cholesterol in your diet.
At your next appointment, that advice could change.

Past guidelines suggest a 300-milligram daily limit of dietary cholesterol. That means a two-egg
breakfast, rather than three.

Now, the government has removed the limit on cholesterol. It did add that "individuals should
eat as little dietary cholesterol as possible" because "foods that are higher in dietary cholesterol,
such as fatty meats and high-fat dairy products, are also higher in saturated fats." But what that
means is eggs are back for most diets. Egg yolks are high in cholesterol, but not high in saturated
fat. They make the list of suggested sources of protein.

"If you connect the dots together scientifically, we don't believe there is a strong influence
between dietary cholesterol and blood cholesterol," Drayer said. "Even when I was training to be
a dietitian, we knew that eating eggs didn't increase your cholesterol as much as saturated fat
does. So the government advice is catching up to the science."

3. Something's fishy and bacon hasn't totally left the building

The guidelines emphasize eating protein-rich food, which helps retain muscle mass as we age
and "plays a role in keeping our metabolism running smoothly," Drayer said. The new guidelines
continue to emphasize eating protein from seafood, lean meat and poultry. There is a specific
mention of eating at least 8 ounces of seafood per week. The guidelines single out men and boys
for eating too much protein.

The summary does not suggest a limit on processed or red meat, as was hinted at in discussions
of the draft version of the report, but it does mention there is evidence that a lower intake of
meats overall, as well as eating less processed meat and poultry, does reduce the risks of
cardiovascular disease. Processed meats like bacon and hot dogs have been linked to an
increased cancer risk and in 2015, the World Health Organization suggested people avoid them.
These guidelines do not. Instead, the guidelines say they "can be accommodated as long as
sodium, saturated fats, added sugars and total calories are within limits in the resulting eating
pattern."

This does not sit well with the American Cancer Society. "By omitting specific diet
recommendations, such as eating less red and processed meat, these guidelines miss a critical and
significant opportunity to reduce suffering and death from cancer," Dr. Richard Wender, chief
cancer control officer of the American Cancer Society, said in a statement released Thursday
responding to the new guidelines.

If you eat meat, it is suggested for the meat, poultry and eggs subgroup -- eat 26 ounce-
equivalents per week based on a U.S.-style and 2,000-calorie diet. It's the same suggestion from
the 2010 guidelines.

If you are a vegetarian, you have options, too: soy products, beans, lentils and seeds are good
protein sources, the guidelines say.

4. Your mother was right about fruit and veggies

Your parents were right to tell you to eat your fruits, especially whole fruits, vegetables and
grains, at least half of which are whole grains. The guidelines recommend eating 2 cups of a
wide variety of vegetables from all the subgroups of colors and starches a day. A hidden
advantage of this suggestion is that it can make you feel full without eating a lot of calories. The
suggested two cups of fruit a day, with half coming in the form of whole fruit, provides many
essential vitamins and some have high fiber, which helps with digestion. A diet rich in fruits and
vegetables helps prevent heart disease and Type 2 diabetes, too.

The committee noted in the draft guidance that whole grains are a "shortfall nutrient" in
American diets. Brown rice, quinoa, and oats are rich in fiber, calcium and vitamin D and can
help with digestion. When eating 6 ounce-equivalents of grains, half of them should be of the
whole grain variety. Studies show that eating cereals can help you live a longer life.

5. Raise a glass (or a cup) to this

The guidelines don't suggest you start drinking, but if you do, not to worry.

Alcohol consumed in moderation is OK. For women, that means no more than one drink a day.
For men, it's two.

Drinking a daily glass of wine has been associated with a benefit to your heart.

Moderate coffee drinking is also highlighted in the suggested menu. Moderate coffee drinking is
defined as drinking three to five cups a day. Coffee has been shown to possibly reduce your risk
of Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease and it may even protect against Parkinson's
disease.
6. Fat is back, kind of
The 2010 dietary guidelines allowed for 10% of your calories to come from saturated fat. This
time, the guidelines keep the same recommendation, but also expanded upon the concept of
"good" fat.

One man's health food is another man's junk food

Some fat is vital to your health. "Good" fat includes heart-healthy Omega-3 fatty acids like the
kind found in some fish. Fat from oils, about 5 teaspoons per day, is also OK.

Saturated fat, or the "bad" kind that comes from meat, poultry and dairy can raise blood
cholesterol, which might increase the risk for cardiovascular disease, weight gain, Type 2
diabetes and cancer.

Trans fat, which the guidelines suggest you consume as little as possible, is harder to find after
the Food and Drug Administration told manufacturers to eliminate it from food. Eating trans fat
increases unhealthy cholesterol, LDL, and lowers the good kind, HDL.

Fat-free and low-fat dairy found in yogurt, milk and cheese is within the guidelines, but how
much you can eat depends on your age.

7. Eat less salt

Eat less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day. That's about a teaspoon, which is not a lot,
especially when many Americans get much of their sodium from packaged and processed foods.

It's not as restrictive as the American Heart Association's recommendation, which is less than
1,500 milligrams. Too much sodium can make your heart work too hard and lead to high blood
pressure.

If you're looking for an alternative, sprinkle allspice on your food or use other spices like thyme
or turmeric.
8. Eat American, Mediterranean or vegetarian
This version of the guidelines is supposed to be more user-friendly. It models three different
types of diets at the 2,000-calorie level: the healthy American diet, Mediterranean diet and
vegetarian diet.

"I think if you want to mix and match and say to yourself, 'Today, I feel like an American-style
diet' or you want a vegetarian day or a Mediterranean day, there are ideas on what you should
have for each," Drayer said. "It's a little more approachable."

Photos: Delicious Mediterranean diet foods

9. Eat what is right for you

These are general suggestions on what you should eat to avoid disease and to maintain a healthy
weight. As the guidelines said, this is a "healthy eating pattern" rather than a "rigid prescription"
and "an adaptable framework in which individuals can enjoy foods that meet their personal,
cultural, and traditional preferences and fit within their budget." If you have a chronic condition
or special dietary restrictions, you'll need to see what works best for you.

"Of course, keep in mind, half of all Americans have some kind of chronic disease already, so
people will need to take a closer look at what works on an individual level," Drayer said. "In
other words, talk it over with a health professional and see which parts of this advice you should
be listening to."

Dr. Steven Nissen, chairman of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic, said the science
behind the guidelines is weak and that these are really a best guess. "They [the guidelines] give
broad recommendations and broad ranges." he said, calling the science inadequate and calling on
the government to conduct well controlled studies that ask the right questions.

"Diet is essential to health ... we are really left with no solid advice for most people," he said.

CNN's Debra Goldschmidt contributed to this report