Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the U.S. Department of Agriculture released the updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans on Jan. 7.
The university is not obligated to adopt the new guidelines in the same way that military or school lunches are required to, according to Dietician and Nutrition Specialist, Karen Orabona. The guidelines were examined to assess how they can support students.
The new inverted pyramid model has replaced the former “MyPlate” visual introduced in 2011, according to URI Sport-Nutrition Specialist Kidd. The reversion back to a pyramid may be confusing for some Americans, as a pyramid does not necessarily model what daily portion servings should look like.
Controversy over the guidelines has risen due to the contradictions between what is in the inverted pyramid versus what is in the written guidelines, according to Kidd. This includes recommendations for saturated fats and whole grains.
“Let’s face it: people are going to see the image of the inverted triangle, and that’s going to stick in their mind,” Dietician and Nutrition Specialist Karen Orabona said. “Not many people are going to read the small print.”
Americans have historically been recommended to limit saturated fat intake to 10% of their daily calories, according to Kidd. With the new emphasis on saturated fats, this will likely be unattainable for many Americans due to activity levels and finances.
“They’re very challenged to actually make this actionable with limited budget,” Kidd said.
Whole grains have earned a less dominant role, being placed at the narrow bottom of the pyramid, according to Orabona. This new location discounts their benefits.
“With whole grains being on the bottom, it’s not really emphasizing the fact that whole grains aid indigestion, help regulate your blood sugar, they provide essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, not to mention that whole grain and fiber helps to keep you full longer,” Orabona said. “By not focusing on those, people might eat less of them.”
When on-campus dietitians and nutritionists work with students at URI, nutrition specialists tailor a student’s dietary needs with an individualized approach, according to Kidd.
“I tend not to use pyramids in general, because I want [the model] to be something that somebody can go out and use every day,” Kidd said.
The new visual can be misleading in assuming that all Americans have the same consumption habits, according to Kidd.
“65% of the world’s population is lactose intolerant, and then in the U.S. it looks like it’s around average 40-ish percent,” Kidd said. “I think that there’s a lot that I have to wiggle through to individualize.”
URI Dining Services will keep the status quo in the dining halls despite the updated guidelines, according to Orabona.
“Our focus has always been to provide freshly-prepared, thoughtfully-sourced, diverse and delicious meals for not only students, but the community at large,” Orabona said.
Science-backed research supporting the guidelines is minimal, and some companies in the beef and dairy industries have yet to declare conflicts of interest in the process, according to Kidd. Despite what is lacking in the guidelines, she supports the emphasis on consuming less ultra-processed foods.
“Some of the things that I will probably reinforce with that is trying to choose more whole foods and decrease added sugar,” Kidd said.
The best course of action for URI students is consistent meals and daily movement, according to Kidd.
“This doesn’t need to be an additional stressor,” Kidd said.
Students do not have to make excessive or drastic changes to their current diets, according to Orabona.
“Focus on the common sense things,” Orabona said. “Notably, drink less alcohol. Eat more protein foods that are whole foods. Look at your diet as a whole, and don’t try to strictly follow any one diet plan.”
