Four Nutritionists Weigh In On The FDAs New Definition Of “Healthy”

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On September 29, 2022, the FDA proposed updating criteria to require food manufacturers to define a "healthy" diet as part of the Dietary Guidelines.

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It has long been known that the main guidelines for a "healthy" diet are based on science.

TLDR: Don't add sugar, instead add healthy fats like nuts, olive oil, and salmon.

To help us understand the proposed new regulations and their implications for consumers, we decided to bring together four certified nutritionists and food experts. We asked each of them what this new definition means, which products don't fall under the legitimate "healthy" label, and tips for consumers trying to eat healthy amid the flood of marketing messages.

Editor's comments. SPY editors are not healthcare professionals and cannot provide medical advice. Please consult your doctor before making any dietary or lifestyle additions based on any information in this post. We do not endorse, support or promote extreme diets and want to encourage every reader to do their best for their physical and mental health.

Why is "healthy" so important?

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provides evidence-based guidelines and advice on health-related lifestyles, including nutrition, so it's a great resource if you're looking for solid information about healthy eating. They also provide a legal definition of what constitutes "healthy," which defines foods legally sold in grocery stores and online as healthy for you.

This new, stricter definition means it will be harder for some foods to label themselves healthier and fill you up with less waste.

The FDA is also looking at the state of the modern American diet, and the picture isn't so great.

According to a recent FDA study, 75% of Americans eat foods low in key healthy foods such as vegetables, fruits and dairy products. 63% of people exceed the recommended limit for added sugar, 77% exceed the saturated fat limit, and 90% exceed the sodium limit recommended by the Chronic Disease Risk Reduction Task Force.

As we'll see later, part of this is because there were gaps in the FDA's previous definition of "healthy," so part of the new definition is limiting how much saturated fat, sodium, and sugar a food can contain. They are classified as "healthy" by the FDA.

The old definition, introduced 20 years ago, was limited but confusing in terms of the nutritional benefits of "fat" and said that a food had to contain at least "10% of the Daily Value" (DV) to qualify. ) for one or more nutrients: vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron, protein, and fiber.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is working to improve the definition of "healthy" that can be placed on food labels. This is very important, as the previous definition was created in 1994 and the science of nutrition and health has changed significantly over the last 2 decades. Dr. William Lee, internationally recognized physician and researcher, president and founder of the Angiogenesis Foundation and New York Times bestselling author of Eating Disorders.

The updated guidelines accurately reflect what we know in nutritional science today, what our bodies need to be healthy and what role food can play in that. Of course, these new "healthy" guidelines are just guidelines, and what foods are "healthy" varies from person to person and their specific body composition.

Stephanie Nelson, MS, RD and Chief Nutrition Officer at MyFitnessPal says, "A healthy diet can usually contain foods that don't meet the criteria for 'healthy' claims. You can still eat cake, eat lots of fruits and vegetables, and have a healthy Follow a diet that lowers your risk." disease

Editor's comments. SPY editors are not healthcare professionals and cannot provide medical advice. Please consult your doctor before making any dietary or lifestyle additions based on any information in this post. We do not endorse, support or promote extreme diets and want to encourage every reader to do their best for their physical and mental health.

What is the FDA's new definition of "healthy"?

"The proposed new definition focuses on food groups that studies have shown include fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, nuts and other legumes, eggs and seafood, and narrows the definitions. For health, studies show that food nutrients such as saturated fat, Sodium and "added sugars are harmful," doctors say, Lee said.

"Foods that are now eligible under the new law (but not before) include olive oil, eggs, salmon and water."

According to the new proposal, products should be labeled "useful" on the front of the package.

• Some "high numbers" include certain food groups and staples, including fruits, vegetables, and dairy products.

• Stay within limits for some unhealthy ingredients, including processed fat, sodium and added sugar. According to the FDA, “Restriction thresholds are based on a percentage of the Daily Value (DV) of an ingredient and vary by food and food group. The sodium limit is 10% of the DV per serving (230 mg per serving). )

Here's a short list of foods with limits on sugar, sodium, and saturated fat.

So what foods are now considered "healthy"?

This proposed new definition doesn't change many of the best eating habits about what's good for health: You can say that whole foods, fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, and whole grains are still part of a balanced diet. .

As mentioned above, there are some foods that are considered "healthy" by the FDA but are not and are not, including nuts, salmon, avocados and other healthy saturated fats.

Dr. Don Shirling, professor of internal medicine at Florida Atlantic University School of Medicine, says, " Whole fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds are always healthy according to the FDA's new definition * (the old definition was unproven natural fat) — avocados and salmon are not unhealthy." Can be advertised as "healthy" - both very good products and very useful!)" *Emphasis added by author.

He then makes important distinctions between different types of fats and explains why some are healthier than others.

"It's important to note that this means that unsaturated fats are better when they come from nuts and seeds. It's still good. Why? "Because the fats and carbohydrates found in fruits, vegetables and nuts are digested differently by our bodies than processed foods," says the doctor. Sharling Dr.

What foods are no longer considered "healthy"?

The FDA currently has vigorous debate in Europe that it has no public plans to label foods as "unhealthy" but that some foods will be stripped of their legal "healthy" status as part of this redefinition. The most popular product categories likely to experience market changes are breakfast cereals, muesli bars and other snack foods, which contain artificial ingredients and artificial sweeteners.

Dr. "It's one of the worst offenders that has positioned itself as healthy over the years, but is far from many breakfast cereals. Most of them are highly processed, full of additives, salt and sugar - lots of sugar. And yet because of the heaps of vitamins it throws in there. does," Sherling said. You can ask for health.

“Hopefully, the new FDA definition will shed some light so consumers can trust what's on the package. Just adding a few vitamins won't do the trick. My hope is that breakfast cereals considered healthy, need to be lightly processed and high in sugar.

"Sugar muesli bars, high-fat dairy products and high-fat meats cannot be labeled as 'healthy,'" adds Nelson.

Anything too sweet, like most breakfast foods, doesn't fit the bill. It's important to note that a balanced diet isn't just about eating foods considered "healthy" by the FDA, as government agencies have stricter guidelines than many medical professionals.

Several nutritionists we spoke with said that while some foods are definitely more "healthy" than others, the science of nutrition is constantly evolving and there are many reasons why your body's definition of "healthy" may vary from person to person. This may include dietary restrictions, allergies, taste preferences and the foods you access and purchase.

Does this mean you need to change your diet?

The exact answer to this question will vary from person to person, but as you may have gathered, this FDA-proposed definition reform doesn't mean you have to go out and change your diet. It's basically a push in the right direction to stay away from super processed foods full of sugar and processed ingredients.

Dr. "Over the last decade the FDA has moved toward medicine and toward nutrition, namely that whole foods are best, minimally processed foods are second, and that we should eliminate highly processed foods from most of our diets," Scherling says.

Dr. Scherling says the FDA's old definition of a healthy diet meant many foods were being falsely advertised to consumers as nutritious, and we hope the new definition will help joint dieters adhere to the strict guidelines.

"People may think they're making healthy choices and they're trying really hard to do the right thing, but marketing is hurting. I hope the new FDA regulations help us straighten things out a little bit," said Dr. shearling

Melanie R. Also, labeling a product "healthy" according to FDA standards does not mean that there are no better alternatives.

"In general, if you're looking for packaged foods that you know what they are and can be said to be simple and whole food ingredients, or organic (to varying degrees) and/or fresh off the supermarket aisle, you don't need a label to know they're healthy! "

Concluding his speech, he indicated an important timeline for the decision and reminded that once a decision is made, it is voluntary.

"Remember this is all planned and not yet implemented. Moreover, when implemented, it is voluntary. The FDA is still accepting comments from the public and food manufacturers to address the "halo effect" on health through December 28 of this year.

So just because a food isn't labeled "healthy" doesn't mean it's bad for you or should be avoided. The goal of this translation is to help the American market and people make healthier choices.

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