New US dietary guidelines expected to encourage meat reduction

The US Government’s forthcoming dietary guidelines are expected to encourage people to consume more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts and other plant-based foods.

The panel that advises the US Agriculture and Health and Human Services Departments is expected to come out with guidelines, encouraging people to their reduce consumption of animal products.

Released every five years, these dietary guidelines are intended for Americans aged two years and over, including those at increased risk of chronic disease and provide the basis for federal food and nutrition policy and education initiatives.

The guidelines encourage Americans to eat a healthy diet, with a focus on foods and beverages that help achieve and maintain a healthy weight, promote health and prevent diseases.

According to a draft recommendation recently circulated by the panel, a diet rich in plants and with less meat is healthy and is associated with a reduced environmental impact than the current average US diet.

The beef and agriculture industries have expressed their objections the new guidelines, claiming that an environmental agenda has no place in what has always been a practical blueprint for a healthy lifestyle, reported the Associated Press.

However, the beef industry has been under scrutiny after a recent study published last year in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences stated that raising beef has higher environmental costs when compared to other meat industries such as chicken or pork.

The study had also found that cattle produce more greenhouse gases and emit more nitrogen pollution, increasing the requirements for water for irrigation and land.

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Image: The panel recommendations are expected to suggest a meat-free, vegetables-rich diet for Americans. Photo: courtesy of Tim Beach/freedigitalphotos.net.