University of California
Cooperative Extension Ventura County
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LinkedInFeds to suggest Americans eat more plants
New dietary guidelines from USDA and Health and Human Services will recommend even greater reliance on plant-based foods, according to an article in US News & World Report.
Every five years, USDA and HHS revise the Dietary Guidelines for Americans; the 2010 version is in development and expected to be released this fall. According to the advisory committee's preliminary report, the new guidelines will encourage Americans to shift food intake patterns to a diet that emphasizes vegetables, cooked dry beans and peas, fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds.
US News said fruits, vegetables, seeds, beans and nuts get a green light for good reason, but acknowledged that eating more isn't always easy. One approach covered in the article is growing your own.
UC Davis food biochemist Diane Barrett told reporter Megan Johnson that store-bought fruit and vegetables are likely to have traveled many miles over several days. The long journey from farm to table may have allowed nutrients to degrade.
Coordinator of the UC Davis Student Farm, Raoul Adamchak, was also quoted in the US News article. He noted that supermarket tomatoes are frequently picked green - before flavor is fully developed - to help them withstand transport. Also, growers who ship their produce cross-country may favor certain varieties over others not for their taste, but because they travel well.
Every five years, USDA and HHS revise the Dietary Guidelines for Americans; the 2010 version is in development and expected to be released this fall. According to the advisory committee's preliminary report, the new guidelines will encourage Americans to shift food intake patterns to a diet that emphasizes vegetables, cooked dry beans and peas, fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds.
US News said fruits, vegetables, seeds, beans and nuts get a green light for good reason, but acknowledged that eating more isn't always easy. One approach covered in the article is growing your own.
UC Davis food biochemist Diane Barrett told reporter Megan Johnson that store-bought fruit and vegetables are likely to have traveled many miles over several days. The long journey from farm to table may have allowed nutrients to degrade.
Coordinator of the UC Davis Student Farm, Raoul Adamchak, was also quoted in the US News article. He noted that supermarket tomatoes are frequently picked green - before flavor is fully developed - to help them withstand transport. Also, growers who ship their produce cross-country may favor certain varieties over others not for their taste, but because they travel well.
Homegrown tomatoes can be fully ripened on the vine.
