USDA releases 2015-2020 dietary guidelines

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released its latest version of guidelines for improving America’s diet, a set of recommendations widely followed by noncommercial operators looking to promote the health of their constituents.

The new guidelines, which were delayed until Jan. 7, encourage the consumption of more fruits and vegetables, fiber and whole grains; less salt; and a broader variety of proteins.

The eighth version of the guidelines, revised every five years, should have no direct impact on the reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act or the regulations set under the school lunch program, SNA spokeswoman Diane Pratt-Heavner told FSD via email.

“We are still awaiting the release of a Senate Child Nutrition Reauthorization bill (we hear it will be soon),” Pratt-Heavner wrote. “That said, nutrition standards for school meals are supposed to be aligned with the Dietary Guidelines, so this new version will inform future efforts by USDA to update the standards. It just won’t directly impact this year’s reauthorization.”

Congress passed an omnibus spending bill last month that included lessened whole grain regulations in federally funded lunch programs struggling to meet standards and yielded further tightening of sodium limitations, as reported by FSD.