Even some of Trump's critics claim that the new dietary guidelines are not without good measures, especially for children's food

The Trump administration released new nutritional guidelines for Americans on Wednesday, aimed at giving them advice on choosing a healthy diet. Unlike older similar documents, the new guide is only 10 pages long, compared to more than 100, and is written in a way that is as accessible as possible. Emily Oster, a professor at Brown University, writes in an opinion piece for the New York Times about the good and bad parts of the guide.

With the appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health, the Trump administration has made several public health changes that have worried experts, the latest of which is changes to the childhood vaccination schedule. “However, the new nutritional recommendations are generally common sense. They emphasize fruits and vegetables, prioritize whole foods, and make it clear that food choices should depend on individual characteristics such as age and activity,” writes Emily Oster, who analyzes the document on three levels: the good parts, the okay parts, and the “weird” parts.

The Good: Exposure to allergens and focus on whole foods

The “good parts” include the emphasis on whole foods and early exposure to allergens. “Virtually all nutrition experts agree that eating foods with a limited number of recognizable ingredients and minimal processing is a good thing. Highly processed foods can increase calorie intake and thus contribute to obesity,” says Oster.

She also notes as very useful the recommendation that exposure to allergens – peanuts, wheat, eggs and seafood – should be done from the age of six months because it decreases the risk of developing allergies at older ages, given that 8% of American children have food allergies. “This was in the older guidelines too, to emphasize it in a much shorter document means a lot,” says Professor Oster, who is also head of parenting advice website ParentData.

The recommendation to consume non-fat dairy products is also welcomed, after years of recommending those with less fat. But there is no proven association between low-fat dairy and weight, so dairy can be consumed according to individual preferences.

Protein controversy

In contrast, increasing the level of protein in the diet is received with reservations. Previous recommendations called for a daily intake of 0.8 grams per kilogram, which is about 70 grams per day, a level most Americans already reach or exceed.

The new guideline recommends 1.2 – 1.6 grams per kilogram. “For someone who weighs 82 kilograms, that would be as much protein as you would find in 200 grams of chicken breast or 10 eggs. Most people probably won't benefit greatly from eating 10 eggs a day,” comments Emily Oster, who says the extra protein is only useful for sustained physical exertion, when the body uses protein to repair overworked muscles. Without effort, the surplus will be treated as just another source of calories, without the body becoming stronger or healthier.

“What's more, this advice can be counterproductive. Many Americans will hear 'add protein' instead of 'replace other calories with protein.' That could lead people to eat higher-calorie foods, like red meat, that most people wouldn't need,” the New York Times article said.

Beef broth, a strange recommendation

Another questionable recommendation is to avoid foods with added sugar in children under 10 years of age, compared to 2 years old, as it used to be. Although the health problems of people who consume a lot of carbohydrates from a young age are well documented, Oster argues that the 10-year limit is unrealistic, especially since there is no scientific data to support it.

“Although there is data showing that high sugar consumption can lead to metabolic problems later, that doesn't compare to eliminating sugar altogether. The healthier children analyzed in the studies consumed sugar, but not too much, and completely eliminating a food group for children can make the forbidden food more tempting (…) Parents should not be afraid of any cookie. The key is moderation,” believes Emily Oster.

In the “strange parts” chapter is the recommendation related to beef suet. “Who uses this in cooking? Where do I buy it? Kennedy seems to like beef tallow as a healthy fat, but it's high in saturated fat and the guide has some limits on it,” writes Oster, who also cites the recommendation of a very large amount of currants as an oddity.

“If there's one thing I have a big objection to these recommendations, it's that they're very difficult for many people to follow. Eating more vegetables, leaner proteins and whole foods is a laudable goal, but also difficult to achieve, especially with limited financial resources, limited shopping options, and the fact that high-sugar, high-fat foods are addictive. These recommendations are a very good start to telling people where to go; now the goal is to help them get there there”, concluded Emil Oster.