Earlier this month, the United States Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services released the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, an essential nutrition resource. The Dietary Guidelines are updated every five years to provide Americans with more effective nutritional information and guide many of the nation’s food and nutrition programs. While the recommendations have remained relatively consistent over time, the Dietary Guidelines have evolved as scientific knowledge has grown. Most notably, this release includes a focus on the overall dietary pattern, with plant-based foods, like almonds, front and center.
In fact, almonds are pictured and featured as one of three examples in the protein foods category, and they’re highlighted in several places as an example of a food for Americans to shift to eat more of.
This edition of the Dietary Guidelines embodies the idea that healthy eating is not a rigid prescription, but rather, an adaptable framework to meet individual cultures, personalities and budgets. The unique nutrient package in almonds, with 6 grams of plant based protein, 4 grams of filling dietary fiber, 13 grams of good unsaturated fat and only 1 gram of saturated fat in just 160 caloriesi, makes them a delicious and satisfying snack that can help anyone meet their healthy living goals.
The Almond Board of California participated in the Dietary Guidelines process by providing public comments to the advisory committee and the government agencies relating to nutrition research, sustainability-related activities, and almonds being well-liked and popular as a snack.
To help consumers better understand the most relevant advice in these Guidelines, we’ve also teamed up with nutrition expert Frances Largeman-Roth, RDN. Regardless of fitness level or culinary capability, Largeman-Roth has lifestyle tips and a “Fabulous New You Meal Plan” to bring the 2015-2020 Guidelines to life in the kitchen and on the plate.
Visit Almonds.com/2015DGA for these tools, recipes and more on Frances’ food philosophy.
i In a recent study, researchers used a method different than the traditional way to measure the calories in almonds and found they have about 20% fewer calories than originally thought. Novotny JA et al. Discrepancy between the Atwater factor predicted and empirically measured energy values of almonds in human diets. Am J Clin Nutr 2012; 96(2): 296-301.
