NEW YORK (AP): Now parents have an extra reason to say no to sweets, cakes and ice cream for young children. The U.S. government’s first dietary guidelines for infants and young children, released Tuesday, recommend feeding only breast milk for at least six months and not adding added sugar to children under 2 years old.
“It’s never too early to start,” said Barbara Schneeman, a nutritionist at the University of California, Davis. “You have to count every bite in those early years.”
The guidelines stop at the two key recommendations of scientists advising the government. These advisers said in July that everyone should limit their added sugar intake to less than 6% of calories and that men should limit alcohol to one drink a day.
Instead, the guidelines adhere to the previous advice: limit added sugar to less than 10% of calories per day after 2 years. And men should limit alcohol to no more than two drinks a day, double what is advised for women.
“I don’t think we’re done with alcohol,” said Schneeman, who chaired a committee that advised the government on the guidelines. “We need to learn more.”
Dietary guidelines are published 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 highlights:
Babies, toddlers and mothers
According to the guidelines, babies should only have breast milk for at least 6 months. If breast milk is not available, they should get iron-fortified infant formulas during the first year. Babies should get extra vitamin D starting shortly after birth.
Babies can start eating other foods at about 6 months of age and potential allergenic foods should be introduced along with other foods.
“Introducing peanut-containing foods in the first year reduces the risk of a baby developing a food allergy to peanuts,” the guidelines say.
There are more tips than in the previous guidelines for pregnant and lactating women. To promote healthy brain development in their babies, these women should eat 8 to 12 ounces of seafood per week. They should make sure to choose fish (such as cod, salmon, sardines, and tilapia) with lower levels of mercury, which can harm children’s nervous systems.
According to the guidelines, pregnant women should not drink alcohol and breastfeeding women should be cautious. Caffeine in modest amounts seems safe and women can discuss it with their doctors.
Alcohol and men
In July, scientific advisers suggested that men who drink alcohol should limit themselves to one serving a day: a 12-ounce can of beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine, or a liquor drink. Tuesday’s official guidelines ignored that, keeping the tips for men on two drinks a day.
Dr. Westley Clark of the University of Santa Clara said it is appropriate. Heavy drinking and excessive drinking are harmful, he said, but the evidence is not so clear to drink in moderation.
Lowering the limit for men would likely be socially, religiously or culturally unacceptable to many, Clark said, which could have effects on the rest of the guidelines.
“They have to be acceptable to people, otherwise they will reject it outright and we will get worse,” he said. “If you lose the public, these guidelines have no merit.”
More careful scientific research is needed on the long-term effects of low or moderate levels of drinking, he said.
What’s on the plate?
Most Americans do not follow the best nutrition tips and contribute to obesity, heart disease and diabetes. Much of the new advice sounds familiar to you: load your plate with fruits and vegetables and reduce sweets, saturated fats, and sodium.
The guidelines suggest making small changes that add up: replace plain crushed wheat with matte cereal. Choose canned low-sodium black beans. Drink sparkling water instead of soda.
“It’s really important to make healthier decisions, every meal, every day, to develop a healthy eating pattern,” said Pam Miller, of the Department of Agriculture’s food and nutrition service.
There is an app to help people follow the guidelines available through the government’s My Plate website.
Read labels
The largest sources of sugars added to the typical U.S. diet are soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages, desserts, snacks, candies, and sweetened coffee and tea. These foods provide very little nutrition, so the guidelines advise limits.
The label “Nutritional data” of packaged foods contains information about added sugar. Information on saturated fats and sodium is also on the label.
Associated Press writer Marion Renault in Rochester, Minnesota, contributed.
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