Last week, a committee of the United States' top nutrition scientists made public their recommendations for the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The Dietary Guidelines, which are expected to be finalized by the USDA and the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) later this year, shape the foods that are encouraged in a number of government nutrition programs, from school lunch to military meals to food-related laws and regulations. While the USDA and HHS aren't required to abide by the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee's recommendations, historically, the Dietary Guidelines have closely adhered to the DGAC report.

As in years past, the 2015 committee agreed that whole grains are a vital component of a healthy diet. Specifically, they found that whole grains "were identified in every conclusion with moderate to strong evidence" for decreased risk of disease. Thus, "the overall body of evidence examined by the 2015 DGAC identifies that a healthy dietary pattern is higher in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low- or non-fat dairy, seafood, legumes, and nuts; moderate in alcohol (among adults); lower in red and processed meat; and low in sugar-sweetened foods and drinks and refined grains." In short, the committee recommended going forward with the same message as in the 2010 guidelines -- to make at least half our grains whole. 

Check out the details in our blog.