The wording of the fat guideline was changed to emphasize avoiding saturated fats, rather than all fats. A new guideline recommends 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day. Another new guideline addresses safe handling and preparing of food to avoid food-borne illness. Fruits and vegetables now have their own place in the guidelines. They used to be coupled with grains.
Soy milk is listed as a footnote to the food pyramid as an alternative to dairy products.
A panel of 11 nutritionists from the likes of Tufts and Harvard University studied scientific literature pertaining to the dietary guidelines for the past three years. But the sugar industry was outraged. On March 3, USDA Secretary Dan Glickman received a letter signed by 30 senators - most were from sugar farming states and several were members of the Senate committee that sets USDA's budget. Answer these questions by calculating your Target Heart Rate and your Body Mass Index. Track your workout progress, join the support network, get advice in our friendly forum and smile hard at The Fit Side - our comical fitness cartoon.