Parents now have more reason not to say candy, cake and ice cream for young children. The U.S. government’s first diet guideline for infants and toddlers, released Tuesday, recommends feeding only breast milk for at least six months and no added sugar for children under the age of two.
“It’s never too early to start,” said Barbara Schneeman, a nutritionist at the University of California, Davis. “You have to make every bite count in those early years.”
The guide briefly stops two key recommendations from scientists advising the government. Those advisers said in July that everyone should limit their extra sugar level to less than 6% of calories and men should limit alcohol consumption to one drink per day.
Instead, the guide adheres to previous advice: add extra sugar to less than 10% of calories per day after age two. And men should not limit alcohol to more than two drinks a day, twice as much as is advised for women.
“I don’t think we’re done with alcohol,” said Schneeman, who chaired a committee advising the government on the guidelines. “There’s more we need to learn.”
The diet guidelines are issued every five years by the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services. The government uses them to set standards for school lunches and other programs. Some of the best events:
Babies, toddlers and mothers
Babies should not have breast milk at least until they are 6 months old, the guidelines say. If breast milk is not available, they should get iron-fortified infant formula in the first year. Babies should get vitamin D supplementary starting soon after birth.
Babies can start eating other foods at around six months and should be included in potentially allergenic foods in combination with other foods.
“Incorporating foods that contain peanuts in the first year reduces the risk of a child developing a food allergy to peanuts,” the guidelines say.
There is more advice than in advance guidance for pregnant or breastfeeding women. To promote healthy brain development in their babies, these women should eat 227g to 340g of seafood each week. They should be sure to choose fish – such as cod, salmon, sardines and tilapia – with lower levels of mercury, which can damage children’s nervous systems.
Pregnant women should not drink alcohol, according to the instructions, and breastfeeding women should be careful. Caffeine in very little appears safe and women can discuss that with their doctors.
Pregnant women should not drink alcohol, according to the instructions, and breastfeeding women should be careful, according to the instructions.
Alcohol and men
In July, the science advisers recommended that men who drink alcohol should limit themselves to one serving per day – a 340g can of beer, a 142g glass of wine or a bullet of drink. That new official guide refused, keeping the advice for men at two drinks a day.
Dr. Westley Clark of Santa Clara University said that is appropriate. Heavy drinking and too much alcohol are harmful, he said, but the evidence is less clear for moderate drinking.
By lowering the limit for men it would seem that many social, religious or cultural would not accept much, Clark said, which could adversely affect the rest of the management.
“They have to accept people, or they will reject it outright and we will be worse off,” he said. “If you lose the public, that direction has no value.”
A more careful scientific study is needed about the long-term effects of low or moderate drinking levels, he said.
What’s on your plate
Most Americans fall short of following the best nutrition advice, contributing to obesity, heart disease and diabetes. Many are familiar with the new advice: Load your plate with fruits and vegetables, and cut back on sugars, saturated fat and sodium.
The guide recommends making small adjustments that will increase: Add cut-down whole wheat for frozen corn. Choose high-sodium black beans. Drink smooth water instead of soda.
“It’s vital to make healthier choices, every meal, every day, to develop a healthy eating pattern,” said Pam Miller from the Department of Agriculture’s food and nutrition service.
There is an app to help people follow the instructions available through the government’s My Plate website.
Read leaflets
The largest sources of added sugars in the typical US diet are soda and other sugary drinks, sweets, snacks, candy and coffee and sweet tea. These foods add very little nutrition, so the guidelines advise limits.
It contains information on sugar in addition to the label “Nutrition Information” on packaged foods. Information on saturated fat and sodium is also labeled – AP