What is a 'healthy' food?

Nowadays, about 5 percent of all packaged foods are classified as "healthy," according to the Food and Drug Administration agency. This definition allows for food manufacturers to add the word "healthy" to the products that have limited amounts of total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium and provide at least 10 percent of the daily value of one or more of the following nutrients: vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, calcium, iron, protein, dietary fiber, or potassium.

The most important aspect is that, nowadays, there is no limit on added sugars in the present definition - an omission that the F.D.A. believes is inconsistent with today's nutrition science. Consequently, the F.D.A presented a new proposal on Wednesday which aims at changing the criteria about packaged foods that it considers "healthy." This would modernize its approach to nutrition and help people who suffer from diet-related diseases.

"The old rule was really outdated - you could create any kind of Frankenstein food that met the nutrient criteria and classify it as healthy," said Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and professor of nutrition at the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy in Boston. "This is a major advance."

Thé., proposed rule introduces a new limit on added sugars - in•:general, no more than 2.5 grams per serving. lt also restricts the amount of sodium to no more than 230 milligrams per serving and provides limits for saturated fat.

The new definition aims to encourage healthy eating by prioritizing a mix of vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy, proteins and certain oils, including vegetable oils. A "healthy" food would need to contain a minimum amount of at least one of those food groups and be within the new limits for saturated fats, sodium and added sugars.

Many sugary cereais, granola bars, highly sweetened yogurts and white breads, which might currently qualify as "healthy" under the existing definition, would be eliminated under the new rule. On the other hand, water, avocados, nuts and seeds, fatty fish like salmon, and certain oils - which do not currently qualify as "healthy" - could get the distinction under the new guidelines.

The new definition of "healthy" emphasizes if a food fits into a healthy dietary pattern, as opposed to just focusing on a food's individual nutrients. Salmon, for example, which isn't considered "healthy" under the current definition because it is high in fat, would get the new "healthy" distinction because it is rich in beneficial omega-3 fatty acids and protein and low in saturated fat and cholesterol.

The agency hopes that an updated definition will help consumers make better dietary decisions, to help lower the incidence of "diet-related chronic diseases" like cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes. More than 80 percent of people living in the United States aren't getting enough vegetables, fruit and dairy in their diets, according to the F.D.A.

(Adapted Irem https:/lwww.nytimes.com/2022)