NCBA on Dietary Guidelines
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson. The cattle industry has some advice for the U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Panel after recommending USDA and Health and Human Service on dietary guidelines: ditch your push for Americans to eat less beef and more vegetables.
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s Dr. Shalene McNeil says ‘Eat MORE beef’ is what the NCBA has wanted to hear for decades …
McNEIL … “We know that beans, peas, and lentils are no substitute for beef. We’re not going to get the same quality of protein, we’re not going to get the same iron and nutrients, and we simply do not have the wiggle room to cut back on beef in the diet for a healthy diet in America today.”
With 80% of Americans eating meat, McNeill says the Advisory Committee’s draft recommendations are ‘out of touch’ with tastes and wallets …
McNEIL … “As we’ve declined our red meat intake, our iron deficiency rates are on the rise, and other nutrients that are associated with beef are also on the rise. So, we’re headed in the wrong direction.”
Should USDA and HHS adopt the recommendations, McNeil says it will have real effects …
McNEIL … “If it’s not in the Dietary Guidelines, it’s not going to be in the School Lunch Program. It’s not going to be in the Military Feeding Program. It also is the key document that informs health professionals like me use to recommend health diets.”
McNeill says the government should not discourage a diet nutrient-dense and rich in protein.
