Parents now have an extra reason to say no to sweets, cakes and ice cream for young children. The first US government dietary guidelines for babies and young children, released on Tuesday, recommend feeding only breast milk for at least six months and no added sugar for 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 make every bite count in those early years.”
The guidelines do not reach two main recommendations from scientists who advise the government. These advisers said in July that everyone should limit their intake of added sugar to less than 6% of calories and men should limit alcohol to one drink a day.
Instead, the guidelines follow the previous advice: limit added sugar to less than 10% of calories per day after 2 years of age. And men should limit alcohol to no more than two drinks a day, double what is recommended 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 meals and other programs. Some highlights:
BABIES, CHILDREN AND MOMS
Babies should only have breast milk at least until they reach 6 months, say the guidelines. If breast milk is not available, they should receive infant formula enriched with iron for the first year. Babies should receive vitamin D supplements shortly after birth.
Babies can start eating other foods at around 6 months of age and should be introduced to potentially allergenic foods along with other foods.
“The introduction of foods containing peanuts in the first year reduces the risk of a child developing food allergies to peanuts,” say the guidelines.
There is more advice than in previous guidelines for pregnant and breastfeeding women. To promote the healthy development of their babies’ brains, these women should eat 250 to 350 ml of seafood a week. They should choose fish – such as cod, salmon, sardines and tilapia – with lower levels of mercury, which can harm children’s nervous systems.
Pregnant women should not drink alcohol, according to the guidelines, and breastfeeding women should be cautious. Caffeine in modest amounts seems safe and women can discuss this with their doctors.
ALCOHOL AND MEN
In July, scientific consultants suggested that men who drank alcohol should limit themselves to one serving a day – a 350 ml can of beer, a glass of wine or a shot of alcohol. Tuesday’s official guidelines ignored this, maintaining the advice for men with two drinks a day.
Dr. Westley Clark of Santa Clara University said this is appropriate. Heavy drinking and excessive drinking are harmful, he said, but the evidence is not so clear for moderate consumption.
Lowering the limit for men would likely be socially, religiously or culturally unacceptable for many, Clark said, which could have a ripple effect for the rest of the guidelines.
“They need to be acceptable to people, otherwise they will reject it at once and we will get worse,” he said. “If you lose the audience, these guidelines will have no merit.”
More careful scientific research is needed on the long-term effects of low or moderate levels of alcohol consumption, he said.
WHAT’S ON YOUR BOARD?
Most Americans do not follow the best nutrition advice, contributing to obesity, heart disease and diabetes. Many of the new pieces of advice sound familiar: load your plate with fruits and vegetables and cut down on sweets, saturated fats and sodium.
The guidelines suggest making small changes that add up: Substitute shredded wheat for frozen cereals. Choose low-sodium canned black beans. Drink sparkling water instead of soda.
“It’s really important to make healthier choices, every meal, every day, to develop a healthy eating pattern,” said Pam Miller, from the Department of Agriculture’s food and nutrition service.
There is an app to help people follow the guidelines available on the My Plate government website.
READ LABELS
The biggest sources of added sugar in the typical American diet are soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened drinks, desserts, snacks, sweets and sweetened coffee and tea. These foods contribute very little nutrition, so the guidelines advise limits.
There is information on adding sugar to the “Nutritional Information” label on packaged foods. Information on saturated fats and sodium is also on the label.
– The Associated Press