Download Latest Dietary Guidelines Recommend a Shift to Seafood

Latest Dietary Guidelines
Recommend a Shift to Seafood
“Eat more seafood”: That’s the advice of the latest 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. While healthy eating advice generally focuses
on how people should be eating less, the most recent Dietary Guidelines specifically encouraged Americans to eat more seafood:
Eat seafood at least twice weekly because of its heart and weight benefits, including reduced risk of CVD (cardiovascular disease) and
reduced risk of obesity.1
The Dietary Guidelines are updated every five years based on the totality of nutrition research. The latest Guidelines include charts showing
that Americans are eating enough of most protein foods – with the exception of seafood, males and females in every age group are not
eating enough.2 The average American eats only one serving of fish per week. And the average pregnant woman eats only half a serving per
week; this is unfortunate as the benefits for new moms and their babies are especially strong:
Pregnant mothers who eat at least two servings of seafood per week have babies with better outcomes for overall improved baby brain
and eye wellness.3
To make the shift to eat more seafood and reap its health benefits, the Guidelines suggest choosing fish twice each week:
“Strategies to increase the variety of protein foods include incorporating seafood as the protein foods
choice in meals twice per week in place of meat, poultry, or eggs… For example, choosing a salmon
steak, a tuna sandwich, bean chili, or almonds on a main-dish salad could all increase protein variety.”
- 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
The message in the Dietary Guidelines was clear that Americans need to be eating more fish because it contains nutrients that are not found
in many other foods. The nutrients mentioned were vitamin B12 and vitamin D, in addition to almost all of the polyunsaturated omega-3
fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) found in dietary patterns.4
In the ‘About Seafood’ section of the Guidelines, it was noted, “The recommendation to consume 8 or more ounces per week (less for young
children) of seafood is for the total package of nutrients that seafood provides, including its EPA and DHA content.” And further, “Women
who are pregnant or breastfeeding should consume at least 8 and up to 12 ounces of a variety of seafood per week, from choices that are
lower in methyl mercury.”5 Fish lower in mercury include: Tilapia, salmon, shrimp, light canned tuna, catfish, and cod.6
In order for people to have real advice on how to implement the Dietary Guidelines, detailed Eating Patterns were included to show how
much of each food group is recommended at various calorie levels. Here’s how seafood stacks up:
1,600
calories
1,800
calories
2,000
calories
2,200
calories
Healthy Mediterranean-Style Eating Pattern:
Recommended Amounts of Seafood7
11 oz/week
15 oz/week
15 oz/week
16 oz/week
Healthy U.S.-Style Eating Pattern:
Recommended Amounts of Seafood8
8 oz/week
8 oz/week
8 oz/week
9 oz/week
“Chapter 1 Key Elements of Healthy Eating Patterns: A Closer Look Inside Healthy Eating Patterns/About Seafood.”
2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, 7 Jan. 2016. Accessed 20 Jan. 2016. http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/chapter1/a-closer-look-inside-healthy-eating-patterns/#callout-seafood.
2
“Chapter 2 Shifts Needed To Align With Healthy Eating Patterns.” 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 7 Feb. 2016. Accessed 20 Jan.
2016. http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/chapter-2/a-closer-look-at-current-intakes-andrecommended-shifts/#figure-2-6.
3
Hibbeln JR, Davis JM, Steer C, Emmett P, Rogers I, Williams C, Golding J. Maternal seafood consumption in
pregnancy and neurodevelopmental outcomes in childhood (ALSPAC study): an observational cohort study. Lancet.
2007;369(9561):578-85
4
“Chapter 1 Key Elements of Healthy Eating Patterns: A Closer Look Inside Healthy Eating Patterns/Protein Foods.”
2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, 7 Jan. 2016. Accessed 20 Jan. 2016. http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/chapter1/a-closer-look-inside-healthy-eating-patterns.
5
“Chapter 1 Key Elements of Healthy Eating Patterns: A Closer Look Inside Healthy Eating Patterns/
About Seafood.” 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
6
“Fish: What Pregnant Women and Parents Should Know.” U.S. Food and Drug
1
Administration. June 2014. Accessed 20 Jan. 2016. http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/
Metals/ucm393070.htm.
7
Appendix 4. USDA Food Patterns: Healthy Mediterranean-Style Eating Pattern.” 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for
Americans. U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 7 Jan. 2016. Accessed
20 Jan. 2016. http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/appendix-4/.
8
Appendix 3. USDA Food Patterns: Healthy US-Style Eating Pattern.” 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. U.S.
Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 7 Jan. 2016. Accessed 20 Jan. 2016.
http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/appendix-3/.