American dietary guidelines highlight benefits of lean beef
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) has commended the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for finalising the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs), which recognises the role of lean beef in a healthy diet.
Updated every five years, the DGAs serve as the foundation for federal nutrition policy and shape the recommendations found on USDA’s MyPlate. While there is no one-size-fits-all diet, “Beef is one of Americans’ favourite foods, and science consistently shows lean beef can be the cornerstone in a variety of healthy diets,” according to NCBA president Marty Smith.
“Now more than ever, the key to proper nutrition is giving people practical and realistic advice, to help create balanced diets that work for them – featuring foods they love, like beef, which pairs perfectly with other nutrient-rich foods.”
The DGAs emphasised the importance of making every bite count by choosing nutrient-rich foods most often. It adds that no other protein food delivers the same nutrient-rich package as beef in about 170 calories, on average, per three-ounce serving of cooked beef. Beef is also good source of ten essential nutrients including high quality protein, iron, zinc, and choline with more than 30 lean cuts, according to the DGAs.
Smith concluded: “U.S. cattle producers appreciate the work of the committee, USDA and HHS on their sole focus on nutrition and science-based research to put together a set of recommendations that will benefit all Americans.”
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