Why You Should Follow the EWG’s Dietary Guidelines Instead of the Government’s

EWG Dietary Guidelines

You may have read about the new federal dietary guidelines. In a nutshell they recommend we all eat less sugar and that teenage boys and men eat less meat. They also state that cholesterol laden foods like eggs are OK for most of us and that moderate consumption of coffee is perfectly fine – yay!

What has come to light however, is the influence of food industry lobbyists on the final recommendations. According to Marion Nestle, renowned nutrition professor and food policy expert, the guidelines are “a win for the meat, sugary drink, processed, and junk food industries.”

Specifically, the federal dietary guidelines DO NOT:

  • Call on everyone to eat less meat for both health and environmental reasons
  • Urge people to cut drastically down on soft drinks (the primary source of added sugar in our diets)
  • Adequately explain the health risks of consuming fish contaminated with mercury

EWG guidelines

Given this, the EWG took it in their hands to create a set of dietary guidelines that “serve the vested interest, not the public interest.”  

EWG guidelines

The 5 key recommendations in the EWG’s dietary guidelines are:

  1. Eat more vegetables and fruits. Avoid pesticides when you can.
  2. Eat less meat, especially red and processed meat.
  3. Skip soft drinks and sugary and salty foods.
  4. Eat healthy and sustainable seafood that’s low in mercury.
  5. Beware of processed foods with harmful chemicals.

Head over to EWG for more details!

EWG guidelines

What are your thoughts on the federal and the EWG dietary guidelines?

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